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Campuses, streets turn into battlegrounds
Protests, clashes break out across the country as students, BCL lock horns
STAR REPORT
Violence centring quota reforms in government jobs was not only limited to the capital yesterday, it also spread like wildfire across the country.
Students and BCL members clashed on campuses and major throughfares in Savar, Rajshahi, Barishal, Cumilla, Sirajganj, Faridpur, Narsingdi, Tangail, Jhenaidah, Pabna, Gazipur and Mymensingh, among other places.
At Jahangirnagar University, at least 70 individuals, including students, teachers, journalists, and police, were injured in clashes that started when armed individuals, allegedly Chhatra League members, attacked protesters near the vice-chancellor’s residence late at night.
The injured were taken to Enam Medical College for treatment, while university authorities convened an emergency meeting to form a committee to investigate the incident and ensure medical support for the victims.
Manosh Chowdhury, a professor at JU, criticised the administration for failing to prevent unauthorised entry onto campus, which he believes exacerbated the violence.
In Rajshahi, students of Rajshahi University yesterday brought out a massive procession on campus, breaking the locks of the hall gates around 3:00pm.
They took position at the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway and blocked vehicular movement.
Around 5:00pm, a section of students stormed various dorms, including SM Hall, Ziaur Rahman Hall, and Bangabandhu Hall, and searched for BCL men in the rooms.
Rooms of RU BCL President Mostafizur Rahman Galib and General Secretary Asadullah-Hil-Galib were vandalised.
Earlier, around 2:30pm, BCL members chased away students and forced them into the halls. They also locked the hall gates. However, around 3:00pm, students broke the locks and brought out protests, carrying bamboo and sticks in hand.
In Barishal, Government BM College, nine protesters were injured as BCL members attacked students.
In response, protestors blocked Barishal-Kuakata highway and attacked a police box.
At least seven police personnel were reportedly injured at the time.
The Daily Star’s photojournalist, Titu Das, was injured by a tear gas shell fired by police in Barishal.
The unrest spread to other districts as well.
In Sirajganj, clashes between students and police left at least 20 injured. Two were left with bullet wounds at the time.
In Faridpur, six students were injured as BCL members attacked protesters.
Meanwhile, students of Pabna University of Science and Technology brought out protest rallies and blocked the Dhaka-Pabna highway.
In Tangail, at least three students were injured after a procession of quota protesters came under attack by BCL men in the town’s Shaheed Minar area at around 11:00am.
Later, students of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University and different colleges blocked the Dhaka-Tangail highway for around an hour from 1:15pm.
In Mymensingh, Bangladesh Agricultural University students staged a demonstration at Mukta Mancha around 3:00pm. Students of Mymensingh Medical College and Community Based Medical College also organised protest rallies and blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
Protesters blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at Bhelanagar area under Narsingdi Sadar upazila for hours.
Chase and counter-chase took place between them and BCL activists in the area for around
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