Two crude bombs exploded separately in front of Campus Shadow and the gate of the Faculty of Business Studies (FBS) at Dhaka University on Tuesday afternoon, seriously injuring a private car driver named Sohel, 36. He was rescued after the blasts and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Students blamed the banned Chhatra League for what they called terrorist activity and said a blast on campus in broad daylight had deepened their sense of insecurity. They accused the university administration, the intelligence agencies and the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) of all failing to keep students safe, and some demanded that the administration resign.
According to eyewitnesses and sources, the two crude bombs went off one after the other in front of Campus Shadow and the FBS gate on Tuesday afternoon. Sohel, who was at the scene, was seriously injured. Students present rescued him and rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Who set off the blasts, and why, could not be confirmed immediately. Whether the banned Chhatra League had any involvement is also a matter for investigation.
The daytime blasts in an important and protected area such as the university campus have spread fear and anger among students. They said the intelligence agencies keep watch over events and programmes on campus, yet failed to prevent sabotage in broad daylight.
Tarequzzaman, a master’s student, said: “Crude bombs were set off at the FBS faculty of Dhaka University in broad daylight. If the university’s useless VC and proctor cannot keep students safe, they should resign. They were not put in these posts to plant rice and grass.”
He added: “Students raising their voices to demand the resignation of this rice-planting administration has now become unavoidable.”
Nafis Hasan Himel, a Dhaka University student, said: “Even for a small event at DU, the intelligence agencies keep watch. Yet the university administration, the intelligence agencies and DUCSU, all three, have failed to keep students safe.”
Criticising DUCSU’s role, he said: “DUCSU is asleep now. God willing, let the candidates come with all kinds of manifestos at the next election; they will get their answer.”
Criticising the university administration, he said: “If the administration has failed to provide security, then for God’s sake close this campus. We do not want to live in fear.”
Professor Al Amin, dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, told Amar Desh: “Terrorists threw bombs at FBS and fled. One person was seriously injured, and the students present took him to hospital.”
He added: “The university proctor, Shahbag police station and we are reviewing CCTV footage. We are trying to find out how this sabotage happened and who is behind it.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report