125 hurt as BCL, Shibir clash at two colleges
At least 125 people were injured as the activists of Chhatra League (BCL) and Chhatra Shibir clashed in two colleges in Cox's Bazar and Rangpur districts yesterday.
More than 100 people including college teachers, journalists and police were injured in two rounds of clashes between BCL and Shibir at Cox's Bazar Government College yesterday morning, reports a correspondent.
Police arrested 15 people including Shibir college unit secretary Lokman Hakim for their involvement in the clash.
The clash followed a dispute over according reception to the first year honours class freshers.
Police and witnesses said, the newly admitted students of the first year honours class were coming to the campus from 9 in the morning. Leaders and workers of BCL and Shibir stood in separate lines to welcome the freshers.
All of a sudden, more than 50 outsider Shibir cadres led by Shibir's college unit president Hasan Md Yasin, secretary Lokman Hakim, former president of the unit Sarwar Kamal launched an attack on the Chhatra League leaders and workers which the BCL men retaliated.
During the clash college principal Md Salimur Rahman, teacher Mujibul Haque, police sub-inspector Anu Mong, constable Sudarshan Barua, journalist of a local newspaper Abdullah Nayan, college BCL convenor Hillol Das, joint convenor Wahidur Rahman were also injured. The injured were admitted to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital and different clinics.
As the condition of BCL leader Halimur Rashid and activist Sahel deteriorated they were sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
Principal Salimur Rahman, teacher Mujibul Haque sustained injuries in their head, hands, legs and other parts of the body.
Refuting the allegation of attack, Shibir college unit president Hasan Md Yasin said that the BCL cadres attacked their activists in presence of police. He claimed that more than 30 Shibir activists were injured.
District BCL later brought out a protest procession that paraded the main roads of the town in the afternoon and held a rally at Laldighir Par.
In Rangpur, at least 25 BCL and Shibir activists were injured in a series of clashes on Carmichael College campus yesterday.
Police arrested 21 Shibir leaders and activists from the college on charge of violence on the campus, reports our correspondent.
College sources said, BCL activists attacked a few Shibir activists while they were preparing to bring out a rally the freshers at about 11:45am.
After a little while, the Shibir cadres swooped on the BCL leaders and activists with sticks and drove them out of the campus.
On information, police rushed the campus at about 12:30pm and charged baton on the Shibir activists.
In the afternoon, police raided Gopal Lal Hostel of the college in the afternoon and recovered a huge quantity of bamboo sticks.
Police arrested 14 more Shibir activists and leaders from the dormitory on charge of keeping bamboo sticks in their rooms.
Meanwhile, the academic council of the college held a meeting hostel rooms. After the meeting, the college authorities asked the residential students to vacate their hostel rooms by 6:00pm yesterday.
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