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Police and college sources said the clash was triggered after JCD City College unit joint convener Abdullah Al Mamun erased the word “student” from a graffiti on a campus building and replaced it with “gupto” (covert or disguised). A video of the act was later shared on social media from Mamun’s personal account.

Following the incident, Shibir announced a press briefing and protest procession in the New Market area at 4:00pm. Processions from both sides faced off around that time, leading to chases, counter-chases, and the hurling of brickbats.

Witnesses said at least 10 people were injured. This correspondent saw two people being taken to a hospital on a rickshaw. A Shibir activist said one of their members was admitted to Parkview Hospital.

Traffic in the area came to a standstill amid panic.

Shibir activists later moved towards Sadarghat Road, while JCD activists from across the port city gathered in the New Market area, took position in front of the college carrying sticks, and staged another procession.

Around 5:00pm, JCD activists assaulted a person suspecting him to be a Shibir member. Police later rescued him, witnesses said.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (South) of Chattogram Police Mahmudul Hasan said additional police had been deployed to bring the situation under control.

At an emergency press conference in the evening, Shibir’s Chattogram City South unit demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of those who “attacked and injured its activists”.

In a written statement, unit president Maimunul Islam Mamun claimed that at least 30 Shibir activists were injured in an attack by JCD men, adding that four are currently undergoing treatment at hospitals.

City College JCD Convener Sohel Siddique Rony, however, alleged that Shibir activists initiated the attack following tensions over “gupto politics” graffiti and online exchanges.

“Shibir activists used abusive language on social media, which sparked heated arguments in the comments. The following morning, they approached us and, after a verbal dispute, attacked us with bamboo sticks and wooden objects, leaving several of us injured,” he told the media. “We want justice through a proper investigation.”

Meanwhile, regarding the clash, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed in parliament said, “Until the investigation, no political party should be blamed unilaterally.”

“I would request that we avoid the culture of blaming each other without investigation. If such incidents occur, cases must be filed and a proper investigation will follow,” he said.

He made the remarks in the evening after Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Chattogram-15 Shahjahan Chowdhury raised the issue on a point of order.

Last night, JCD units of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University protested the alleged attack on JCD men by Shibir activists on the city college campus.

At DU, JCD warned that leaders and activists of Shibir will not be allowed to move freely on campuses if incidents like this are repeated.

Alleging that Shibir carried out an armed attack on general students, JCD’s central committee called an immediate protest march on DU campus around 9:00pm.

Addressing the gathering, JCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said, “If you try to repeat such attacks on any campus in Bangladesh… not a single JCD activist will allow you to move freely on campuses.”

He alleged that since August 5, 2024, Shibir activists have attacked JCD leaders and activists multiple times in Chattogram.

JCD Dhaka University unit President Ganesh Chandra Roy Sahos alleged that Shibir is creating a “negative narrative” and instigating unrest on campuses.

Meanwhile, the JU unit of JCD brought out a protest march on campus around 10:00pm from Rabindranath Tagore Hall and marched through key roads of the campus before ending with a brief rally in front of Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall.

JU JCD Convener Jahir Uddin Mohammad Babor, Member Secretary Wasim Ahmed Anik were among others present.

Babor said, “The barbaric attack carried out by Shibir at [Chattogram] City College today is highly condemnable.”

He warned that if Shibir did not abandon “secretive and violent politics”, JCD would launch a strong movement with general students.

(Our DU and JU correspondents also contributed to this report.)