Staff Correspondent

At least six people were killed in three districts, including the capital Dhaka, and hundreds were injured in clashes between quota protesters and police and ruling party men on Tuesday, the most violent day of protests since the movement began.

Of the deceased, two were killed in the capital, three in Chattogram and one died in Rangpur. They were killed by bullets reportedly fired by BCL, Jubo League and Awami League activists, and policemen.

Three persons named Mohammad Faruk, Wasim Akram and Mohammad Faisal were shot dead in Chattogram city. Abu Sayeed, 25, an English Department student of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur was killed in the university area while the identities of the two killed in the capital could not be known immediately.

The injured were admitted to different hospitals across the country. Many of them sustained bullet injuries, and were in critical condition, according to sources at hospitals.

Many vehicles and establishments were torched and vandalised during the clashes.

Two buses were torched in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 8:30pm. Seven crude bomb explosions were also reported there.

Against the backdrop, the government announced the closure of all schools, colleges and polytechnic institutes until further notice to ensure students’ safety. Besides, tomorrow’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination has been postponed.

While briefing reporters in front of the residence of Dhaka University vice-chancellor around 8:45pm, Hasnat Abdullah, one of the coordinators of Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement, announced the end of their Tuesday’s programme.

They will not hold any protest today for the observance of holy Ashura, he said, adding that they will announce their next course of programme after discussion.

Quota protesters defiant

Protesting against the BCL attacks on the students seeking quota reformation in public jobs, the students of different educational institutions took to the streets while many learners brought out processions on their respective campuses on Tuesday.

They sought punishment for those who attacked the quota reform seekers, along with the logical reformation of the quota system to ensure public jobs on the basis of merits.

The leaders and activists of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League equipped with firearms and other lethal weapons attacked the protesters, which prompted the agitators, also equipped with sticks, to make counterattacks, according to local people.

Along with the ruling party men, the cops also swooped on the protesters, said the eyewitnesses.

Consequently, many crucial points and educational institutions across the country were almost turned into battlegrounds.

Considering the deadly situation, the government deployed the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in the capital, Gazipur, Chattogram, Rangpur, Bogura and Rajshahi to bring the situation under control, Public Relations Officer of the paramilitary force Shariful Islam confirmed it to the Daily Sun.

In Dhaka, the leaders and activists of BCL Central Committee, Dhaka University (DU) and Dhaka North and South units, wearing helmets and carrying lethal weapons, took position at different areas of Dhaka University (campus), including Raju Bhashkarja, on Tuesday afternoon.

On the other hand, the quota protesters, also equipped with sticks and iron pipes, gathered at Central Shaheed Minar,

Chankharpool, Doyel Chattar and Fuller Road areas at about 3:00pm.

At Chankharpool, the Dhaka South City Unit of BCL and the protesters got locked in a clash.

The BCL men at one point fired bullets at the demonstrators, hitting at least three students. Besides, a huge number of protestors and others were also injured during the clash.

According to the Emergency Department of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), two DU students – Shuvo and Ratul, and a Dhaka College student named Shafin, were admitted to the DMCH with bullet injuries.

Meanwhile, the learners of Dhaka College, City College and Dhanmondi Ideal College took to the street in the Science Lab area.

At that time, the Chhatra League leaders and activists carrying lethal weapons attacked the demonstrators seeking quota reformation, leaving at least two men killed and 100 injured. Five of the injured people sustained bullet injuries.

The wounded were taken to DMCH, and other private hospitals.

Bacchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH police outpost, said a student of Dhaka College, 25, was declared dead after he was brought to the hospital.

Another injured man from the area was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Till 8:00pm on Tuesday, the protestors and BCL men took positions at different areas in the DU campus, giving rise to fear of an untoward incident at any time.

The DU authority claimed that some protesters beat up five assistant proctors in the DU area. They were admitted to the DMCH. The injured were Prof Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Prof Dr Abdul Muhit, Associate Prof Dr Farzana Ahmed Shanta, Associate Prof Dr Hasan Faruk and Associate Prof Emamul Haque Sarkar Titu.

Bullets were fired at the students of Jagannath University (JnU) and some colleges, who were protesting for the quota reformation in Old Dhaka. At least three students of the JnU and one of Government Kabi Nazrul College sustained bullet injuries.

The incident took place around 3:30pm when the protestors were moving towards Ray Saheb Bazar from the JnU area.

Eyewitnesses said the activists of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League attacked the protesting students.

Besides, one student was injured in a knife attack who was admitted to Dhaka National Medical College Hospital.

Dhaka National Medical College Hospital Emergency Medical Officer Dr Arif said, “Four people were found with bullet injuries and one was stabbed.

“The condition of the bullet-hit four people was critical. They were sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital,” he said.
Kotwali Zone Police ASP Nazrul said he heard the news of bullet firing, but could not say who fired the bullets.

The students of Notre Dame College and some other institutions blocked Motijheel Shapla Chattar. Shantinagar was blocked by the learners of Willes Little Flowers School and College, Rampura and Merul Badda by students of East West University, BRAC University and Imperial College, and Natun Bazar by students of United International University, Dhaka International University and American International University, Bangladesh.

A chase and counter-chase occurred between the students and the BCL men at Natun Bazar area at about 11:45am. Later, the BCL men backed off after failing to remove the students from the area.

The students of BAF Shaheen College, Government Titumir College, Southeast University and the Civil Aviation High School blocked rail lines in Mohakhali, halting train movement.

In Jahangirnagar University, more than 50 students and teachers were injured after the activists of the ruling party’s student wing BCL attacked them on the university campus.

One of the injured teachers was Awalad Hossain, professor of the Department of Chemistry.

The students protesting for quota reform brought out a procession in front of the university library around 6:30pm.

When the procession reached Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman residential hall, the Chhatra League activists led by university unit President Aktaruzzaman Sohel and General Secretary Habibur Rahman Liton attacked them.
Quota protests gain momentum outside Dhaka

In Chattogram, Wasim, Faisal and Faruk were killed and over 100 injured in sporadic clashes between the quota reform demonstrators and the activists of BCL in the city’s Muradpur and surrounding areas on Tuesday afternoon.

Wasim was a third year student of Sociology Department of Chittagong College and also the joint convener of the college’s Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal unit, claimed Chattogram City BNP leader Idris Ali.

Faisal was a first year student of the Management Department of Omar Gani MES College. Faruk was an employee of a furniture shop in the Sholoshahar area.

Locals said the BCL activists were staying in the Sholoshahar railway station area before the prescheduled gathering of the quota reform protesters at 3:00pm.

The agitating students of Chittagong University, its affiliated colleges and other educational institutions also started gathering at the spot at that time.

At one stage, the protesting students got locked in chase and counter-chase with the BCL and Jubo League men there.

Sounds of crude bomb blasts and gunshots were heard at that time, said the witnesses.

The clashes left over 100 students and BCL men injured. Some of them were rushed to the Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where on-duty physicians declared three of them dead.

CMCH Director Brigadier General Taslim Uddin said two youths hit by bullets were brought to the hospital and they were declared dead.

Some 40 injured persons were undergoing treatment there, he added.

Deceased Faruk’s employer Tajul Islam said that Faruk was heading towards the shop after lunch.

When he reached the Muradpur area, he was shot in the chest. He was rushed to the CMCH where doctors declared him dead, he said.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMO) Commissioner Saiful Islam told the Daily Sun that the police tried to bar both the feuding groups from the beginning, but they were locked in a clash.

In Rangpur, a clash took place between the protesters and the BCL men and police, leaving Abu Sayed, a student of the Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur dead, according to the eyewitnesses.

The clash erupted as students from different educational institutions marched towards the campus from the Lalbag area and tried to enter the campus through Gate no-1. At least 50 students and others were injured in the clash.

In a video footage, it was seen that a policeman fired a shot from close range at unarmed Sayed, when he faced the cop in a defiant manner.

Quoting doctors, Tuhin Wadud, a teacher of the university, said Abu Sayed sustained shotgun pellet wounds.

After that, the students carrying the body of the deceased brought out a procession and they tried to enter the campus, but the police did not allow them.

Later in the evening, the protesters torched at least five cars of the university teachers, and set fire to the Begum Rokeya University vice-chancellor’s residence, said sources.

Md Moniruzzaman, commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, said a group of students began demonstrating on the university campus at noon. Then, the students from nearby educational institutions began to join them.

He claimed that the protestors suddenly attacked the police stationed nearby, injuring several cops and damaging their vehicles, which prompted the police to retaliate by firing rubber bullets.

But the agitating students alleged that the BCL men with the help of cops attacked them to deter them from staging demonstrations.

Secondary schools, colleges closed, tomorrow’s HSC exam postponed

In light of the ongoing quota reform movement and to ensure student safety, the government has announced the closure of all secondary schools, colleges, and polytechnic institutes until further notice. Additionally, tomorrow’s HSC examination has been postponed.

This information was relayed through a notification from the Ministry of Education at 8:30pm on Tuesday.

The Inter-Education Board has declared the postponement of tomorrow’s HSC examination nationwide, citing unavoidable reasons. The new schedule will be announced later. Exams scheduled from 21 July onward will proceed as planned.

Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, senior information officer of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, said no decision has been made yet regarding the closure of primary schools.