Clashes at Jagannath University Anniversary Seminar Leave 50 Injured
Photo Collected
A violent clash broke out at Jagannath University on Tuesday during a seminar commemorating the second anniversary of the July mass uprising, leaving at least 50 people injured. The confrontation, which spanned several hours, involved members of the university’s student wing of the BNP, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), and activists from the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) and the Jatiyo Chhatrashakti.
According to medical personnel at the Dhaka National Medical Institute Hospital, the facility received approximately 50 injured individuals between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Dr. Mokbul Hossain, a physician at the hospital’s emergency department, reported that many of the wounded suffered severe head injuries, with four to five individuals requiring transfer to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment.
The tensions reportedly began around 11:00 a.m. when JAKSU leaders attempted to enter the university auditorium to present demands regarding campus infrastructure, medical facilities, and administrative staffing to University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Mamun Ahmed and Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Rais Uddin, who were in attendance. A verbal altercation and shoving match ensued at the auditorium entrance, leading the student leaders to stage a sit-in protest outside the venue.
Witnesses stated that the situation escalated into a physical brawl near the university’s Shaheed Minar following the conclusion of the seminar. Representatives from Jatiyo Chhatrashakti accused JCD members of orchestrating a targeted attack against their leadership, including the president, vice-president, and general secretary of the student union.
Conversely, JCD convenor Mehedi Hasan Himel defended his organization’s actions, alleging that the opposing groups were attempting to disrupt the event and humiliate the visiting UGC chairman. He claimed that JCD members had requested the protesters to vacate the area peacefully before the confrontation turned violent, and he maintained that many JCD members were also among the injured.
The violence persisted into the afternoon at the Dhaka National Medical Institute Hospital, where victims reported that groups of students from nearby Kabi Nazrul Government College and Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College—affiliated with the JCD—targeted the wounded who were seeking medical care inside the hospital premises.
0%
0%
0%
0%
