'BCL attacks' participants for second time

Government Titumir College students allegedly attacked by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on Wednesday while protesting charging of "excessive fees" for the registration of the honours final year exam claimed to have faced another onslaught yesterday.

The Daily Star was able to confirm there were seven victims, all residents of Akkasur Rahman Akhi Hostel of the adjoining college in the capital's Mohakhali.

Abdul Motaleb, Golam Kibria, Shah Alam, Asif, Ainal, Didar and Mohesshwar took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

Two of them claimed that the number of victims was higher and that they were targeted for participating in the protest, staged through a human chain on the campus.

However, two others were visibly shaken and denied being protesters. Wednesday's attack had left 10 students injured, two of whom had taken treatment at DMCH.

Motaleb said seven to eight BCL men loyal to the college unit BCL President Kazi Mirajul Islam Dollar forced their way into his room on the hostel's second floor around 1:00pm and started hitting him and his four roommates with iron rods and sticks.

"We were beaten and dragged to the ground floor...My fault was that I participated in the protest," he said. Another hostel resident, preferring anonymity, claimed that the college authorities seemed unwilling to take action against the attackers.

 College BCL President Kazi Mirajul termed it retaliation by one BCL group on another, stating that it had no connection with the protest. Principal Abu Haider Ahmed Naser said, he was unaware of the incident.