Shops, academic building vandalised as Daffodil University students clash with locals in Savar
A clash erupted between Daffodil International University (DIU) students and locals in Savar's Ashulia Union yesterday centring around the death of a fellow student on 2 November who was reportedly severely beaten by local youths one week ago and succumbed to the injuries later. During the clash, several shops, and buildings were vandalised and roads were blocked.
"The situation is normal for now. A few students are injured due to brick pelting, further action will be taken after talking to both sides," Savar model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Deepak Chandra Saha told The Business Standard (TBS).
During the clash, locals reportedly attacked one of the academic buildings of the university and vandalised it. A few students of the university were injured in the brick pelting by the locals.
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On the other hand, the local and market traders have accused the university students of vandalising at least 70 shops and setting fire to 3-4 shops in a local market adjacent to the university. They also accused the students of looting cash and goods from various shops.
"A student named Mehdi Hasan was admitted to our hospital around 7:30 pm. He has a head injury. He is under treatment.," Dr Merajur Rehan Pavel, a physician at the emergency department of Enam Medical College Hospital, told TBS.
A 4th-year student of the textile engineering department of the university, Hasibul Islam Antor, passed away on 2 November after succumbing to his injuries from reportedly being beaten by some locals.
To protest the death of their fellow, the students formed a human chain on the road adjacent to the campus, demanding that those involved in the incident be brought under the law and that the maximum punishment be ensured. The protesting students also closed the shops in the Changaon area along with blocking the roads in the area which agitated local shopkeepers and residents.
Local residents later gathered together as the shops were being closed down and roads were blocked by the students. Meanwhile, the agitated students set fire to the road adjacent to the university and vandalised at least 70 shops in the local Molla Market. They also set fire to 3/4 of the shops there.
At one point, Locals announced on the mic and asked for people to gather together, it escalated to a clash and counterclash. The agitated locals broke the glass of the engineering complex of the university.
Shahriar Sumon, President of the Changaon Molla Market Traders Association, told TBS that the students had been having problems with the people of the Akran area for the past few days over to the death of a student at the university.
"But for the last 2-3 days students have been closing our shops. After opening the shop yesterday, the students again asked to close the shop. Later in the evening, the students suddenly set fire to 3-4 of the shops in the market, vandalised 70 shops," he added.
Ejaz ur Rahman, an assistant professor of the Department of Business Administration at Daffodil International University told the media, "Some of our students were injured, but their injuries were not serious. All of them have been given first aid. Now the situation is normal."
Due to previous enmity, DIU student Hasibul Islam was reportedly picked up from a Laguna stand adjacent to the university and beaten up by some local youths on 27 October. Later, the student died in a hospital in Mymensingh on 2 November while under treatment.
The university authorities filed a case with the Savar model police station accusing six people over the incident. The police have arrested Rahat Sarkar, 25, the main accused in the case.
