Three rounds of clashes have broken out between two groups of Chhatra Dal at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU), just 20 days after a new 68-member convening committee of the organisation was announced.
Tension spread across the campus over three rounds of clashes from about 1am on the night of Tuesday (28 July) to 3pm on Wednesday (29 July).
The first round of scuffling and beating between the two sides took place at about 1am on Tuesday night. An attempt was made to settle the matter, but a second round of clashes broke out in the dining hall of the university’s Agnibina Hall at midday on Wednesday. When the two sides came face to face again in the afternoon, a third round of clashes broke out. On receiving the news, the university proctor, Professor Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, went to the scene and brought the situation under control.
The Chhatra Dal joint convener Rasel Rana said the trouble began over a personal dispute between two workers, Sabbir and Abu Sayeed. Senior Chhatra Dal leaders sat down for talks to resolve the matter in the presence of the member secretary, Mamun Sarkar. At one point in the discussion, the Chhatra Dal worker Rizwanul Karim Rabbi behaved discourteously towards the committee’s number-one joint convener, Israfil Hossain, creating tension between the two sides. It eventually turned into scuffling and beating.
Sabbir was previously involved in Chhatra League politics, and is under a three-year expulsion over an allegation of assaulting a journalist. He later joined Chhatra Dal politics.
CCTV footage shows that at midday on Wednesday, while Rizwanul Karim Rabbi was having lunch in the dining hall of the university’s Agnibina Hall, Abu Sayeed and several others attacked him. The attackers are seen in the footage holding sticks and rods. A further round of clashes broke out between the two sides over the incident.
The Chhatra Dal member secretary, Mamun Sarkar, said: “The matter has already been resolved. We have settled it through discussion among ourselves.”
The university proctor, Professor Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, said: “On getting news of the incident I went to the scene. The situation was then calmed after talking to both sides. The matter will now be discussed administratively and the necessary decisions taken.” Repeated attempts to reach the accused Abu Sayeed, Sabbir and Rizwanul Karim Rabbi by phone for their comment were unsuccessful.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report