At least 12 people were hurt as leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) "swooped" on a rally brought out by the Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad on the Dhaka University (DU) campus Friday in remembrance of Buet student Abrar Fahad.
Abrar, a second-year student of the electrical and electronic engineering department of Buet (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology) died on October 7, 2019, after he was mercilessly beaten by the university's Chhatra League men over his Facebook post criticising the government's deals with India.
Today, the Chhatra League men attacked the protest rally at Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture organised to observe Abrar's third death anniversary.
As the protest programme began, Chhatra League activists launched attacks from the university's Teacher-Student Centre, vandalised the chairs and public announcement system, tore off the posters and burned them. They also chased Chhatra Adhikar Parishad men towards Shahbagh, brandishing chairs and sticks.
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BCL Vice-President Mohin Uddin, Joint General Secretary Mahbub Khan, Organising Secretary Nazim Uddin, Private University Affairs Secretary Al Amin Rahman; deputy office affairs secretaries Shimul Khan, Abdur Rahim; Jahurul Haque Hall unit President Kamal Uddin Rana, General Secretary Rubel Hossain, and other leaders and activists of the ruling party's student wing carried out the attack, reports our DU correspondent.
The clash left over a dozen injured from Chhatra Odhikar and Chhatra League and they were rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) where another brawl broke out.
Zahid Ahsan, library secretary of the DU Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, and Chhatra League Central Committee Organising Secretary Nazim Uddin were among the injured.
Bin Yamin Mollah, president of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, told UNB that the BCL men injured 12 of their activists during a "peaceful programme," without any provocation. "As I went to see them at Dhaka Medical college hospital, BCL again attacked us."
BCL Joint General Secretary Mahbub Khan said Chhatra Odhikar Parishad leaders and activists were holding the programme with outsiders and fundamentalists on the DU campus. "When we asked them whether they were university students, they attacked us. Later, the university's students stopped them."