BCL factions clashed again on CU campus

Two factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League of Chittagong University (CU) unit were involved in a clash again on the campus yesterday evening.

They pelted brickbats targeting each other. Commotion is prevailing at the campus following the incident, reports a correspondent quoting eye-witnesses.

The clash broke out at 7:30 pm last evening between BCL factions Bijoy and Choose Friends with Care (CFC) groups, both known to be followers of Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, according to campus sources.

Earlier on Tuesday evening, they both engaged in a clash centring to enter an auditorium hall.

CFC activists claimed that Bijoy activist Mahmudur Rahman Rupak went to the tea stall of Shaheed Abdur Rab Hall yesterday evening and asked the shopkeeper to give him cigarettes without money. 

"As the shopkeeper refused to give cigarettes, he locked an altercation with him. When the incident came to the notice of some CFC activists, they too locked into an altercation with Rupak," an eye-witness said.

As the news spread, activists of the CFC group took a position at Shah Amanat Hall with sharp weapons and the Bijoy group took a position at Suhrawardy Hall and pelted brickbats targeting each other.

Both groups locked in a chase and counter chases during that time, however, no one was injured.

Md Iliash, a leader of the Bijoy group claimed one of his activists was beaten up by CFC men when he went to take snacks at Shaheed Abdur Rahman Hall's tea stall.

Rezaul Haque Rubel, president of CU unit BCL and also the leader of the CFC group alleged that some students resisted Rupak when he was trying to extort a shopkeeper.

CU Proctor (acting) Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan said the situation is under control now.

Additional police forces were deployed on the campus to fend off any unwanted incident, he added.