Not a sweet November: Bloody month of student violence
The fuse for what was about to come centring the latest round of student-led violence was lit earlier, at the end of October
The month of November, usually a period when the cool starts descending on Bangladesh which has just begun shedding its sweltering shroud, was marked by something else this time around: unabating rounds of student violence.
Throughout the month, the brutality usually associated with the Chhatra League had now seemingly seeped into almost every student body.
Elsewhere, protests were also seen in the RMG sector, and over the ban of battery-run rickshaws on Dhaka streets.
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While those, alongside others making grievances were being dealt with, the students continued, in one place or another.
The fuse for what was about to come centring the latest round of student-led violence was lit earlier, at the end of October.
The Titumir nightmare
In the face of weeks of blockades by students of the seven Dhaka University-affiliated colleges, the government announced that there will be a dedicated facility only for the seven college students on DU premises, with dedicated officials and registrars.
This did not meet Titumir students' demand for the formation of a separate autonomous university for their institutions, leaving them unhappy.
They decided to continue their movement and announced the closure of all types of internal academic classes and examinations of the seven colleges.
They also held rallies on campuses for three days demanding an independent university.
On 18 November, students of Titumir College descended on Mohakhali for a nightmarish day.
Their protest saw traffic movement completely disrupted.
Worse, a train was also attacked, leaving multiple passengers injured.
Rafiq Uddin Raihan, a student of the college's English department, told TBS, "A commission has to be formed. It takes a long time to establish a university. But if it's formed, the commission will gradually work on that."
Others agreed that the first step was to immediately form a commission in this regard.
The next day, the education ministry announced the formation of a committee to examine the feasibility of converting Titumir College into a university. Following the committee, formation, the students announced a suspension of the protest after the decision to form a committee was made.
Dhaka College, City College face off
Two days after the Titumir College fracas had died down, another fuse was ignited.
On 20 November, students of Dhaka College and City College collided in the Science Lab area.
Dhaka College students alleged that City College students had beaten up one of their students who was alone that morning.
Bricks and stones were pelted on a Dhaka College bus in the afternoon.
A two-hour clash followed, leaving 15 people injured.
Witnesses said both groups wielded sticks and iron rods, chased each other, and hurled brick chips, resulting in injuries.
The Dhaka College Teachers Council then demanded the removal of City College from the area, saying that over 150 students from Dhaka College were injured in the clashes.
Textile Uni, Polytech students clash in Tejgaon
All of a sudden, on the night of 24 November, news began to break that students of the Bangladesh Textile University (Butex) and Dhaka Polytechnic Institute had locked horns in the Tejgaon Industrial area.
Police and witnesses said a fight had broken out between students from the two educational institutions stemming from a verbal argument.
Soon rounds of chases and counter-chases had begun, lasting for an hour from 10pm.
At one stage, police and army personnel arrived to separate the two groups of students.
About 30 students from both sides were injured in the clash.
A death, then devastating attacks
First, students of Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College vandalised the hospital over the death of a student, which they alleged was due to wrong treatment.
The vandalism apparently extended to Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul colleges.
The very next day (25 November), students of Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul colleges attacked Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College.
The entire Jatrabari area came to a halt. When the dust settled, hundreds of students and teachers were left injured.
Police sue 8,000 college students
The police have filed a case against 8,000 students of various colleges including Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College (DMRC) in the capital on charges of vandalism and theft of magazines filled with bullets.
Dhaka's Sutrapur Police Station Sub-Inspector AKM Hasan Mahmudul Kabir filed the case as the plaintiff yesterday(24 November).
Anupam Das, sub-inspector of the general registration branch of the police station, confirmed the matter today
