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Old Dhaka turned battle zone

Jagannath University students' bid to recover 12 grabbed dormitories; over 100 hurt, 20 vehicles damaged as they clash with cops; institution closed Kailash Sarkar
Jagannath University authorities yesterday closed the university sine die following three-hour-long clashes between students and ; cilice that left at least 100 people including 25 policemen and 20 female students injured.
The students damaged over 20 vehicles and different offices in the area while police lobbed around 120 teargas canisters, charged truncheons to disperse them and arrested over 10 students.
The students were demonstrating to have 12 of their dormitories returned under the university's control. The dormitories are occupied by powerful people, criminals, police and the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC).
Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Awami League, also attacked the agitating students and issued threats to them.
Following the clashes, university's syndicate, the highest body of the university, held an emergency meeting around 5:30pm and decided to close the university for an indefinite period.
State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim
Ahmed Sohel, however, said a vested quarter in their bid to destabilise the law and order situation of the country caused the planned incident which is part of their "mega plan".
— Talking to The Daily Star, he said, "We have specific information that it was an attempt of the vested quarter. But we have directed the law enforcement agencies to take stern actions against them."
Vice-chancellor (VC) of the university Prof Abu Hossain Siddique chaired the syndicate emergency meeting, which also formed a four-member committee to probe the incident.
The syndicate also requested the government to speed up its process of returning the grabbed dormitories under the university's control.
Jagannath University Proctor Kazi Asaduzzaman told The Daily Star that Prof Nuruddin Ahmed, chairman of the chemistry department, is heading the probe committee.
The proctor also said the university authorities would take care of the injured students.
However, a press release issued by university Public Relations Officer Syed Faruk Hossain said the admission process of freshmen would continue and administrative and department offices would remain open.
OCCUPIED 12 DORMS
Soon after the BNP-led alliance government came to power in 2001. the DCC occupied the Bazlur Rahman dormitory at Bongshal and set up Shaheed Ziaur Rahman High School there, according to sources.
Local criminals grabbed Shaheed Anwar Shafiq hostel at Mahut lUli, Saidur Rahman hostel on Dpu Sultan Road. Rouf Majumder hostel on Jadunath Bosak Lane, Nazrul Islam hostel on Gopi Mohan Bosak lane, Shaheed Aznial Hossain hostel on Romakanta Nandi lane and Crown Bhaban at Paniatuli.
Moreover, families of policemen grabbed Habibur Rahman hostel on Golok Paul Lane, Tibet hostel at Wiseghat and Abdur Rahm an hostel at Arm am tola.
A police camp was set up in one part of Shaheed Shahabuddin hostel at Tannbazar while shops were set up in the other part.
The Bani Bhaban is partially used by the university as a part of it is under the control of local powerful people.
On February 12 last year, the then VC Sirajul Islam Khan submitted a memorandum to the education ministry mentioning the stare of the occ u pied dormitories.
\TSTERDAVSV1OLENCE Witnesses said the clashes erupted around 10:30am when police charged truncheons on a few thousand students who have been demonstrating to have their dormitories returned to them.
A few thousand students gathered on campus in the morning under 22 banners of 22 departments, according to witnesses. They had a scheduled programme of laying siege to the Bangabhaban yesterday.
When they headed towards their destination, police stopped them at the university main gate leading to scuffles which sparked the three-hourlong clashes.
Witnesses said police charged truncheons while the students retaliated with brickbats.
Dispersed by the truncheon charge, the students vandalised at least 20 vehicles around campus and damaged windowpanes of the Bangladesh Bank office near the university'.
Police then fired teargas
4Mdx~harBtd trun^KMn ’again’ffl6t left at^ast ^stu-^ dents injured. The students kept on hurling brickbats at police and chases and counter chases took place between them.
Students alleged that law-enforcers snatched a number of cellphones from students during the clashes.
Traffic was at stand still in the surrounding areas during the
clashes and panic gripped students and locals.
Zahidul Islam Selim, a forth semester student of political science, said police charged truncheons on students entering classrooms and other places where they had taken refuge.
Witnesses said police also beat up female students who were overwhelmed by panic. They beat up and picked up students and a few pedestrians.
Several eyewitnesses said Chhatra League activists had joined police in beating up the agitatingstudents.
Itilking to The Daily Star Chhatra League Jagannath University unit President Kamrui Hasan Ripan claimed activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir were trying to make die law and order situation on campus unstable.
Sources said the injured students were admitted to Mitford Hospital, nearby private clinic Sumona and National Medical College Hospital.
Students Mizanur Rahman. Kabir Hossain. Zahidul Islam, Saikat Majumder, Abdul Mannaf. Abdul Baten, Abul Khayer. Suman Sikder and Onik Sarkar were under the custody ofKotwali police.
Abdul Malek, deputy com-missioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Kotwali Zone), told The Daily Star. "Police resorted to firing 117 teargas shells to disperse unruly students who damaged vehicles, a Bangladesh Bank office and other establishments in the area."
He also said over 25 policemen were injured during the clashes and police detained a number of thestudents.
The agitating students during a press conference at the Jagannath University Journalists' Association office, held before the university syndicate emergency' meeting in the evening, declared boycotting of all classes and exams for an indefinite period protesting the police excess and to press hometheirdemand.
Meanwhile, Jagannath University Teachers' Association General Secretary Prof Kazi Saifuddin condemned the police excess on students and demanded a judicial enquiry.