Students of Dhaka College have confined Acting Principal ATM Moinul Hossain to his office, rejecting the institution’s decision to close residential halls amid violent clashes with New Market shopkeepers
The college announced the closure until May 5 in a notice on Tuesday afternoon, instructing the students to vacate the halls by evening as the clashes continued.
At 3:30 pm, students rejected the order and blocked the acting principal’s office, demanding to know why the administration was silent on “attacks on its students” and why it was allowing police on the campus.
According to the latest reports, one group of students was protesting at the principal’s office while others were engaged in clashes with New Market shopkeepers.
Al Nahean Khan Joy, president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, and its General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee have gone to the area to try and calm students but are facing the anger of the crowd.
They were surrounded by students when they arrived.
“Have you come to see the show?” one of the students asked Lekhak.
Before he could respond, another said: “Why have you come? We have given our all for Dhaka University and the central Chhatra League. There was trouble last night, but none of you came.”
A few people were seen charging towards Lekhak, while others hurled curse words. He did not respond.
Students also complained that the Dhaka College Chhatra League committee had not been formed in some time. The protesters said the shopkeepers would not have dared to confront them if the Chhatra League leadership of the unit was in place.
After the hall closures were announced, Nahean and Lekhak went to the acting principal’s office.
“Closing the residential halls is no solution,” Lekhak said, trying to calm the agitated students. “If necessary, the market can be closed, but not residential halls.”
Students of Dhaka College and shopkeepers from New Market have been embroiled in a series of skirmishes since the early hours of Tuesday.
The clash started around midnight on Monday when an argument over a food bill turned violent.
Hostilities resumed around 9 am when both sides took to the streets again. It took until 12:45 pm for police to come out in force with armoured cars and riot gear.
At least 20 people – including shopkeepers, students, pedestrians, hawkers and journalists – were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with injuries.
Earlier, Dhaka College suspended all classes and examinations scheduled for Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com.