At least 15 leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal were injured as they were attacked allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra league men on Dhaka University campus yesterday afternoon.
The incident happened when around 30 JCD men were entering the campus for a scheduled meeting with DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman at his office.
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Witnesses said 50-70 BCL men swooped on the JCD men in front of Sir AF Rahman Hall around 4:25pm when leaders of newly formed DU unit of JCD, pro-BNP student body, were going to exchange greetings with the VC.
The BCL activists, led by Reazul Islam, president of the hall unit BCL, and Muneem Shahriar Moon, general secretary, beat up the JCD men with cricket stamps and sticks.
Even though two JCD men became unconscious and fell on the road, the attackers did not stop, the witnesses added.
Later, BCL men of Kabi Jasimuddin Hall and Bijoy Ekattor Hall units joined the attack, they said.
Before the incident, several hundred activists of BCL, pro-ruling Awami League student body, gathered at different points on the campus, including in front of administrative building and VC Chattar.
Meanwhile, leaders of BCL DU unit were to meet the VC around 3:00pm yesterday for submitting a memorandum to realise their 30-point demand for the welfare of students, while the JCD leaders were scheduled to sit with the VC around 4:30pm, said sources.
The injured were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Eight of them were critically injured, the JCD claimed.
They include DU JCD unit President Khorshed Alam Sohel and General Secretary Ariful Islam Arif, joint general secretaries Abdul Jalil Aminul, Farhan Mohammad Arif, Assistant General Secretary Munsi Sohag, SM Hall unit President Nasir Uddin Shawon and General Secretary Raju Ahmed.
However, the BCL denied the allegation of its involvement in the attack.
Arif, who was being treated at the DMCH, told The Daily Star, "We got permission to meet the VC. When we were entering the campus, a group of BCL men carried out the attack without any provocation from our side."
"We are students of the university, but the DU administration failed to give us safety. It is very clear that there is no minimum coexistence situation on the campus as the DU administration is biased towards the BCL men. We demand the resignation of the VC and the proctor of the university."
Contacted, Saddam Hussain, general secretary of BCL DU unit, told this correspondent that BCL leaders were busy discussing various student- friendly issues with the DU administration. "BCL men were not involved in the attack."
He added that they learnt that a faction of JCD men was not satisfied with the new committee of DU JCD unit. "The incident happened due to internal feud."
VC Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman told this newspaper, "The incident was unexpected and shocking. JCD leaders were scheduled to meet me. We are trying to know why the incident happened."
Condemning the incident, a faction of Bangladesh Chhatra Union DU unit, Chhatra Federation DU unit and Jasad Chhatra League central committee demanded the attackers be brought to book.