A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists vandalised around 40 vehicles in front of Government Titumir College in the capital's Mohakhali yesterday evening,

protesting the announcement of new BCL committee for the college.

When news of the new committee spread on the campus, a number of aggrieved BCL leaders along with at least 100 activists went on the rampage, damaging vehicles stuck on the road due to traffic congestion, witnesses said.

Kazi Mirajul Islam Dollar and Manik Hossain were declared president and general secretary of the new two-member college unit committee by BCL central president Badiuzzaman Sohag and general secretary Siddique Nazmul Alam. Other members of the committee were yet to be announced as of filing this report at 1:30am today.

The BCL men went berserk from Amtoli to Brae Centre on the Mohakhali-Culshan road, creating panic among pedestrians and locals. Owners of nearby business outlets pulled down their shutters in fear, witnesses said.

The rampage disrupted traffic movement for about an hour on the road.

Morshed Alam, additional deputy commissioner of Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, briefed reporters that a group of BCL activists took to the street and damaged several vehicles stuck in front of the college around 7:00pm.

Police brought the situation under control by dispersing the agitated activists around 8:00pm, the ADC said.

Later the vandals were seen roaming about the area wielding iron rods and sticks in presence of the police.

The ADC said police did not arrest anyone in connection with the vandalism.

Aggrieved BCL leaders said that anger grew among college unit leaders as loyalty was considered instead of devotion.

"The committee was announced secretly without holding a council session. We do not accept it, “ said Mahfuzur Rahman, a BCL leader with the college unit.

However, BCL president Sohag said those who took part in the vandalism were not real activists of BCL.

Meanwhile, in a similar incident, aggrieved BCL activists of Government Bangla College blocked the Mirpur Road yesterday around the same time, protesting the announcement of the new college unit committee.

Sohag and BCL general secretary Siddique Nazmul Alam nominated HM Jahid Mahmud and Mujibur Rahman Anik as the college unit president and general secretary respectively, without holding any council, activists said.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Darussalam Police Station, said police rushed there on information and pushed them back into the campus.