Police blame quota reform activists for causing mayhem at JU
Quota reform activists were causing mayhem at the Jahangirnagar University (JU) premises while holding a sit-in programme protesting an earlier attack allegedly by the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), police said today (16 July).
Speaking to The Business Standard at around 2am, Sub-Inspector Md Dipu, duty officer of the Ashulia Police, said, "There has been chaos at the JU campus. Everyone, including our SP and OC, is there. Quota reform protesters are causing trouble in front of the Vice-Chancellor's house."
JU students had taken the BCL men by a counter chase as they clashed on the premises. Our correspondent reports the entire campus is currently surrounded by the students.
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At one point, the police who were positioned there since late last night fired tear shells to bring the situation under control.
As of 3:30am, protesting students were still seen gathering in groups in front of the VC's residence. Hundreds of students and journalists remained trapped there. Police were seen firing rubber bullets and tear gas shells at the students to avoid confrontation.
All the while, Chhatra League activists were still positioned there, reports our JU correspondent.
Meanwhile, at around 11pm yesterday, men who were believed to be members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) launched an attack on JU students.
The incident took place just hours after the quota reform activists wrapped up their programmes for the day. Over 320 students were injured across the country on Monday in attacks on quota protesters allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
Attacks by BCL have also been reported on other university campuses across the country.
At around 11:30pm, the students broke the lock of the university vice-chancellor's residence and took shelter inside.
Around 15 minutes later, at least three hundred BCL activists went in front of the residence with GI pipes and sticks. They started hurling brickbats and tossing glass bottles at the protesting students, our correspondent reports.
After about half an hour, the police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Both parties had taken positions in front of the VC's residence by then.
The students claimed that most of the activists of the Chhatra League who launched the attack are outsiders. They also alleged that there are people in their forties among them.
According to the students, shots were fired in the area.
Speaking to TBS on the phone, a student of the university said the protesting students first took position in front of the VC's residence. At that time, when BCL leaders and activists, including some outsiders, were about to attack them, they broke the locks and entered. But some of them couldn't go in.
Later, as the police arrived, the Chhatra League refrained from further attacks, the student said.
At around 1am, Chhatra League men were seen standing on the field in front of the VC's home.
