Staff Reporter:

At least 70 people, including leaders of Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU), were injured in a clash between Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Shakti on Tuesday.

Emergency Medical Officer at Dhaka National Medical College Hospital, Makbul Hossain, said more than 70 people had received treatment at the hospital by 6:00pm, with many more still coming for treatment.

The clash erupted around 11:30am at the central auditorium where the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman, and others including JCD leaders, were attending a documentary screening marking the second anniversary of the July Uprising.

At the time, JCD activists tried to prevent leaders from JnUCSU, Chhatra Shibir, Chhatra Shakti and others from entering the auditorium with a placard demonstration, according to eyewitnesses.

Eyewitnesses said the placard demonstration was a peaceful move aimed at raising demands for the handover of the university’s second campus construction works to the army to avert corruption by vested parties in the tender process.

The protesters, led by JnUCSU, also demanded swift implementation of a temporary housing project in Keraniganj, and improvements to medical centre facilities and healthcare services of the University.

Videos circulating on social media show JCD’s University unit Convener Mehedi Hasan Himel obstructing the movement of the JnUCSU-led team at the auditorium gate. In the video, Mehedi also pushes back Dr AKM Rifat Hasan, a faculty member at the Management Studies Department, when the teacher tries to mediate between the opposing student groups.

Mehedi also calls on his fellow activists to “quickly” shutter the auditorium’s gate.