DU VC residence attackers are professionals: DMP chief

Those who attacked the Dhaka University vice chancellor’s residence during the Quota-reform demonstration are professionals, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said today.

“No one is above the law. The incident at Dhaka University and the attack on VC residence is very unexpected and we are extremely saddened,” the DMP Commissioner said in response to a query by journalists during a briefing on Pahela Baishakh security measures.

Photo: Jamil Khan

“The way the attack was carried out and how the CCTV box and hard disk was removed, it seems to be the work of professionals. Senior officials and expert law enforcers are investigating the case,” the commissioner said.

Those involved in the incident will be tried under the purview of law, the commissioner added.

Yesterday, four cases were filed against a huge number of unidentified people on charge of vandalism, arson and obstructing lawmen to perform their duty during demonstrations in Dhaka over quota reform in public service recruitment.

All the cases were filed with Shahbagh Police Station last night.

The movement for quota reform turned violent on April 8 as police fired several hundred teargas shells and rubber bullets, used water cannons and charged truncheons to disperse the demonstrators who blocked the Shahbagh intersection for over five hours. The clashes went on throughout the night.

Around 100 people were injured during the clashes.

A section of the protesters broke the main gate of the DU VC residence during the wee hours of Monday. They vandalised furniture and other belongings, and also torched three cars inside the compound, according to witnesses and fire service personnel.

Students under the banner of Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad launched the movement on February 17 to press home their five-point demand, including reducing the quota privilege to 10 percent from 56.