Jahangirnagar University students claim protest programme came under attack by Chhatra League

A section of Jahangirnagar University students have claimed that activists from the university's Chhatra League unit "attacked" them on Tuesday (6 June) while they were holding a protest programme on campus grounds, an allegation denied by the student wing of the ruling party.

Samiul Islam Prattoy, one of those who came under attack, had been on hunger strike for the last seven days demanding non-resident students vacate the Mir Musharraf Hossain Hall and to have seats secured for a larger number of students there.

About 50 students and activists of the university's Chhatra League unit launched the attack, under the leadership of Gautam Kumar Das, deputy literary affairs secretary of the branch Chhatra League, around 11pm on Tuesday, the students said.

They also claimed, as they were being taken to the hospital for treatment, their ambulance came under attack yet again.

However, refuting the students' claim, Chhatra League President Aktaruzzaman Sohel said their unit had no involvement in the attack on Samiul. He alleged that the students were involved in infighting.

He also said during the attack, Gautam Kumar Biswas himself called an ambulance and took Samiul to the hospital adding, "We condemn the attempt to blame the attack on the Chhatra League."

In protest of the attack and to press home their demands, students of the university staged a sit-in programme in front of the university's vice-chancellor's office at around 12:00am.

Jahangirnagar University Professor Md Nurul Alam said there would be a discussion in the disciplinary board to discuss the demands of the student around 1:00pm today.