5 protesters hurt in Chhatra League attack

At least five students were injured as Bangladesh Chhatra League activists swopped on them during a protest in front of the Business Studies Faculty of Dhaka University today.

General students were protesting against the "illegal enrolment" of 34 former and incumbent Chhatra League leaders in an evening Masters programme of their faculty.

The injured protesters have been identified as Asif Mahmud, Chayon Barua, Atik Chowdhury, Srobona Shafiq Dipti and Pragati Barman Toma.

Witnesses said, around 50 general students gathered in front of the Business Studies Faculty at 11:30am and chanted slogans demanding resignation of the dean and vice-chancellor of the university.

A group of Chhatra League activists attacked the protesting students at around 1pm, leaving five students injured.

Later, university's proctorial team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Proctor Professor Golam Rabbani told The Business Standard that some unidentified people attacked on the protesting students.

"We are looking into the matter," he added.

Nurul Haq Nur, vice president of Dhaka University Central Students' Union, claimed that the attackers were Chhatra League activists.

After the announcement of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union and hall union polls schedule was made on February 11, these former and current BCL leaders got enrolled in the Masters of Tax Management (MTM) programme under Banking and Insurance Department to carry on their studentship. The admission test was held on November 30, 2018, according to media report.

Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform which spearheaded the quota reform movement; Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, a pro-BNP student organisation, and Dhaka University Against Corruption, a platform of general and left-leaning students had been staging separate protests demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor and dean of the business studies faculty since September 8.

On September 11, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in a statement expressed deep concern and demanded neutral investigation into the incident.

Prof Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, dean of the faculty, has been claiming that students who completed graduation and post-graduation from the university can be enrolled in the evening programmes without any written exam or circular.

He also claimed that the decision was made by the chairman's committee and the interested students only have to face viva voce.

Evening programmes are the faculties' own programmes and they conduct the programmes and change rules by themselves, he added.