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VIOLENCE AFTER SHUTTLE ACCIDENT
Preplanned vandalism or outburst of anger?
Chaos in CU raise questions about motives amidst long-standing students grievances
STAFF CORRESPONDENT, Chattogram
The recent incident of protests and vandalism following the shuttle train accident at Chittagong University’s campus has raised questions about whether it was a preplanned act or an outburst of long-standing anger towards university authorities.
Law enforcement officials have characterised the rampage and vandalism at the Vice-Chancellor’s residence and the vehicle depot as premeditated actions carried out by masked individuals with sharp weapons. They suggest that the extent of the vandalism indicates a possible act of vengeance against the Vice-Chancellor.
On the other hand, some students, who chose to remain anonymous due to fear of repercussions, assert that the chaos was not driven by a desire for revenge but rather by their frustration with the university administration’s failure to address their demands. These demands included better transportation options, such as more shuttle trains, to ease commuting to and from the university.
Senior teachers at Chittagong University have also weighed in, stating that the incident was a result of the administration’s failure to address students’ long-standing requests for improved transportation services. They criticise the university administration for its handling of the situation, suggesting that the Proctor’s failure to direct local police exacerbated the mayhem.
At least 16 people, mostly students of the university, were injured after being hit by tree branches while traveling on the roof of a Chittagong University shuttle train on Thursday night.
Of them, three, two from CU, are currently fighting for their life at the ICU of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
After the news of the accident broke, the angered students gathered at the Zero Point area of CU and locked down the main gate of the university, before holding the CU Proctorial body hostage and vandalising the police box, teachers’ club, VC’s residence, and nearly 35 buses of CU at the transport office, according to witnesses. .
A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists, mostly juniors, also took part in the demonstration, they added.
CU Proctor Nurul Azim Sikdar did not respond despite several attempts to contact him over phone.
WHAT DO POLICE SAY
After the chaos, senior police officials including the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chattogram visited the CU campus on Friday.
“We have visited the campus and talked to the witnesses and started an investigation. We have started collecting the CCTV footage to identify the miscreants,” Additional Superintendent of Police (DB) Sudipta Sarkar of Chattogram told The Daily Star yesterday.
“In the CCTV footage, we found that the miscreants who vandalised the bus depot and VC’s residence were wearing masks. It is clear that they knew the locations of CCTV cameras so that they covered their faces with masks to hide their identity,” a top police official said, seeking anonymity.
“We are also digging into the political identity of the attackers,” he added.
Additional SP Sudipta Sarkar said filing of three cases in this connection was underway with Hathazari Police Station.
CUTA STANDS WITH STUDENTS
Meanwhile, CU Teachers’ Association (CUTA) claimed that the incident took place due to the failure of the university administration. “The running administration failed to address students’ longtime demand for shuttle trains,” reads a statement issued by CUTA.
The Proctor failed to direct local police to deal with the situation, resulting in the mayhem, said a senior teacher of the Social Science Faculty wishing anonymity.
Interestingly, CUTA in its written statement did not mention anything about the vandalism at VC’s residence, but mentioned about the bus depot.