Tension escalated in parts of Dhaka as students from Government Suhrawardy College and Kabi Nazrul Government College clashed and vandalized Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College on Monday, November 25.
The trouble began around noon when angry students took to the streets and started damaging property at Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.
Earlier in the day, students from Suhrawardy College gathered on campus and later marched towards Kabi Nazrul College. By 10 a.m., many of them were seen holding sticks as they headed to Kabi Nazrul College.
The plan was for students from both colleges to march together to Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.
However, fearing the situation would get worse, the principal of Kabi Nazrul College asked students to remain calm and protest peacefully.
Some students listened, but others ignored the request and continued their journey to Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.
Sources say that eventually, students from both Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul Colleges started their protest together and made their way to Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.
The protest was sparked by the tragic death of Abhijit, a first-year student at Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College, who passed away on November 19 after alleged medical negligence at the National Medical Institute Hospital.
Following his death, students from both colleges announced a protest for November 25, demanding justice and accountability.
They also issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities, calling for the arrest of those responsible for the destruction at their campuses.
On the day of the protests, students gathered at the National Medical Institute Hospital to voice their anger over what they claimed was negligent medical treatment given to Abhijit.
The protest soon turned into clashes, and students began vandalizing both Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul College campuses.
Despite the presence of police at the scene, they were accused of doing little to prevent the violence.
During the attacks, exams were taking place at both colleges, and students were forced to flee in fear as the protestors went on a rampage.
The violence continued for hours before students eventually cleared the roads, allowing others from Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul Colleges to regroup. Along with the destruction, there were claims of looting during the protests.
The unrest spread throughout the area, with many locals shocked by the scale of the violence.
Even though the police were on-site, there were complaints about their lack of intervention.
Police officials later claimed they were unaware of the scale of the destruction taking place.
The violence also spread inside the National Medical Institute Hospital, where more property was damaged, and several people were injured.
The situation remains tense as authorities investigate the causes of the unrest.
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