Over 100 injured as BCL swoops on protesters

Activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) carried out a series of attacks on protesters seeking quota reform on the Dhaka University campus on Sunday leaving more than 100 injured.

Sources at Dhaka Medical College Hospital reported that more than 100 injured students were brought to DMCH.

In the latest spell of violence, BCL people clashed again with anti-quota protesters in front of Shahidullah Hall around 5:15 pm. Sound of several crude bomb explosions was also heard. BCL leaders and activists from different halls gathered on the road with sticks in hand.

The road stretching between Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shahidullah remained full with brickbats and debris as the BCL members and protesters threw stones on each other.

By sundown, huge contingents of police were deployed on the campus. 

The entire DU campus was patrolled by BCL activists after they chased the protesters away.

BCL members from various halls of Dhaka University and Dhaka city units attacked the protesting students around 3:30 pm, beating them indiscriminately with iron rods and sticks, leaving more than 50 students injured. BCL also chased them and dispersed them from the spot. The injured were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, according to the protesters.

Earlier, another clash broke out between protesters and BCL activists around 3:00 pm when a group of protesters on loudspeakers were calling students to join their protest from different halls of residence. As they reached Bijoy Ekattor Hall, BCL men from inside the hall started throwing brick chips at the protesters. The protesters also retaliated. Both groups, each wielding sticks and iron rods, then chased each other.

Earlier, BCL President Saddam Hossain told the media around 1:00 pm that it was clear the protesters were crossing their limits, and BCL knew how to "politically" deal with those who crossed the limit.

Earlier, quota protesters gathered in front of the Raju Memorial Monument to hold a rally protesting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's remarks about the movement demanding quota reform.

Students from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, BUET, Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, and Dhaka Medical College joined the protest.

Some general students alleged that when some quota activists were coming to join the rally from Eden Mohila College, BCL leaders of the college unit obstructed them by locking the gate, triggering a clash around 12:30 pm that left several students injured. The injured included Sayma Afroz, Shahinur Shumi, Sumaiya Akther, and Sanjida Haq. One of the injured was taken to a hospital.