BCL men ransack IU bldg
Villagers block highway 'protesting' arrest of 4 students after vandalism; 20 hurt in clash with police
A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, including one wielding a sharp weapon, move on the campus of Kushtia Islami University yesterday. PHOTO: BANGLAR CHOKH
Twenty people including five police personnel were injured in a clash between law enforcers and villagers as people of Modhupur village adjacent to the campus of Islami University (IU) in Kushtia put barricade on Kushtia-Jhenidah highway yesterday evening. The villagers put the barricade protesting arrest of IU student Mahbubur Rahman, also a resident of the village, and four others in connection with the ransacking on the campus yesterday morning. Police arrested 20 people after the evening incident. A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists ransacked four office rooms of the administrative building of IU and fired 10 to 12 blank shots on the campus yesterday morning. The incident occurred as a sequel to feud between two groups of BCL activists who got locked into several clashes on the campus after announcement of the IU unit committee of the organisation on May 28 last, campus sources said. Some 30 BCL activists, led by former president of the university unit of the organisation Shahnoor Alam Keramat and present joint secretary Mahbubur Rahman, went out of Bangabandhu Hall at about 10:00am yesterday and ransacked rooms in the administrative building, said police and campus sources. The BCL men threatened two university officials of dire consequences as the latter tried to prevent them from ransacking valuables, campus sources said. On information, Islami University Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman reached the spot with a police team. IU students Zillur Rahman, Mahbubur Rahman, Abu Jar Giffary Al Gaffar and Liton and an outsider were arrested at Bangabandhu Hall as police led by Kushtia Superintendent of Police Sahabuddin Khan launched a drive on the campus at about 2:30pm. Protesting the arrest, people of Modhupur village, the home of Mahbubur Rahman, put barricade on Kushtia-Jhenidah highway near the IU campus at around 7:00pm yesterday. When police tried to remove the barricade, the villagers got locked into a clash with the law enforcers, causing injuries to five police personnel and 15 villagers. "The troublemakers have fled the campus and now the situation is normal. A case has been filed with the local police station in this connection," said IU Proctor Mahbubul Arefin. Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Alauddin said stern action will be taken against those who created panic on the campus and violated discipline. "University authorities should take action against those responsible for creating unrest on the campus. We will also take action after discussion with our central leaders,” BCL university unit secretary Shamsuzzaman Tuhin told this correspondent over phone. Jahangir Hossain was made president and Shamsuzzaman Tuhin secretary of the university unit of BCL committee that was announced on May 28 this year but a group led by Mahbubur Rahman and Ali Mortuza Khosru, aspirants for president and secretary posts of the committee, rejected the committee, campus sources said. As the two groups clashed on the campus over the issue on June 2, 4 and 6, the authorities closed the university for eight days. The university reopened on June 15.
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