Clashes erupt between college students in Dhaka, dozens injured

A violent clash broke out between students of two colleges in Dhaka after an attack and vandalism at Shahid Suhrawardi College. 

The situation quickly escalated, leading to injuries for over 100 students, as well as significant property damage.

The trouble began early Monday morning, when students from Shahid Suhrawardi College took to the streets to protest an earlier attack on their campus. They were joined by students from Kobi Nazrul Government College, who quickly became involved in the protests. 

Tensions were high as students marched through the streets, and the situation became more heated as time passed.

At one point, a teacher from Kobi Nazrul College tried to stop the students, warning them not to cause further disturbances or leave the campus.

"If you leave the college and cause any problems, or if any student gets hurt, I will fast here," the teacher told them. 

Despite this warning, the students ignored the teacher and left the college, marching towards Mahabubur Rahman Molla College.

On the way, students from Kobi Nazrul College armed themselves with sticks taken from local shops, and in some cases, even helmets from parked motorcycles.

When they arrived at Molla College, a group of students entered the campus and caused widespread damage, stealing computers, laptops, and other equipment. 

The situation quickly escalated, with both sides throwing bricks and stones at each other. 

Local residents also joined in, adding to the chaos.

For about an hour, the street outside Molla College turned into a battleground, with students from both colleges and local people hurling bricks at each other. 

Despite the violence, no police or military forces were seen at the scene initially.

The first victim of the violence was a student from Kobi Nazrul College, who was severely beaten by a group of students from Molla College. 

After the attack, the injured student was dragged away by locals and taken to safety. Following this, a full-scale fight broke out, with students from both colleges chasing each other and attacking anyone they could find.

It wasn’t until much later that police arrived at the scene. 

However, when they tried to enter Molla College, they were met with loud protests and chants from the students, forcing them to retreat. Around 30 minutes later, the military arrived, but they too were met with resistance and had to pull back. 

Eventually, after negotiating with the students, police and military forces were able to enter Molla College and conduct a search of the premises.

The violent clashes lasted for nearly two hours, and more than 100 students were reported injured. According to Md. Faruk, the officer in charge of the Dhaka Medical Police Outpost, about 30 injured individuals were brought to the emergency department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Among the injured were students from both Shahid Suhrawardi College and Kobi Nazrul College, as well as a few bystanders.

The injured students have been identified as:

• Rajib (19) and Shahedul (20) from Shahid Suhrawardi College
• Rana (20), Maruf (19), Rumon (19), Hasinur (19), and Arafat (19) from Kobi Nazrul College
• Anupam Das (23) and Suman (22) from Kobi Nazrul College
• Humayun (20) from Imperial College, Hatirjhil

The violent protests have raised concerns about the safety of students in the area, and the authorities are now investigating the incident.