Ranakshetra is the mall of DHA. Photo: Collected.
After the day-long chase and counter-chase, sound grenades and tear gas shelling, the police clashed with the Dhaka University (DU) students who were agitating for quota reform even in the dark of Wednesday night.
Police fired teargas shells to disperse the assembled DU students. In response, the agitating students threw bricks at the police. At this time, DU area became a battlefield again.
The incident started in front of Bangabandhu Tower in Shibbari Mor area of Dhaka University around 10:15 on Wednesday night.
When the students gathered and came to the area, the police chased them. At this time, both sides clashed. At one stage, the clashes spread to the Central Shaheed Minar, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Chankhanerpool intersection.
From time to time, clashes and chases and chases took place between the two sides. After fighting with the police for about half an hour, the students retreated.
Earlier, students clashed with the police for more than two hours in the road and square area in front of the residence of the vice-chancellor of the university after 4 pm. The agitating students failed to perform funeral prayers in front of TSC’s Raju sculpture in the afternoon due to police obstruction. Later, they offered funeral prayers in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence. After the janaza, a procession was taken out with the coffin to the campus around 4:30 pm. At that time, the police threw numerous sound grenades and tear gas shells at the students’ procession. The students dispersed. But in no time they gathered again and took position in front of Surya Sen Hall.
Students clashed with the police for an hour there. Later, the policemen took position in front of the residence of the Vice-Chancellor. And the students took position in front of Masterda Surya Sen hall.
The unarmed students could not stand up to the police and went inside the halls of the area around 5:30 pm. When they left the hall, the police came and took position in front of the Surya Sen hall. Then Saiful Haque, associate professor of mass communication and journalism department of the university, went there and spoke to the police. After that, the police stopped firing tear gas shells.
Then the students left the halls When they went to Neelkhet intersection and took position, the police again started firing teargas shells at them. In response, the students threw bricks at the police. After some time the students also left from there.
Meanwhile, many students remain in the student halls of the university even at night. They said that even if the university authorities ordered them to leave the hall, they would not leave the hall. They will stay until the attack on the students is brought to justice.
It is to be noted that an emergency meeting of the Dhaka University Syndicate was held on Wednesday morning in the context of the loss of life due to violence surrounding the movement demanding quota reform. In that meeting, the university was declared closed for an indefinite period. Also all residential students are directed to vacate the hall by 6pm.
(Dhaka Times/July 17/PS/KM)
Source: www.dhakatimes24.com
