BANGLADESH

Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, have allegedly torn down the newly constructed security wall of the Shahid Minar at Rangpur Carmichael College.

Principal of the college Dwipakendra Nath Das said the Shibir supporters did this early on Sunday morning. Construction of the boundary wall had commenced on Thursday.

Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Altaf Hossain told that the principal filed a case accusing some unnamed Shibir activists in this connection.

President of the organisation's college unit 'Palash' had warned him on mobile phone Saturday night not to erect the 200-metre long wall as their camp, called Shibir or tent, is beside the wall, Das said.

"He had also threatened that the wall will be crushed if his warning is not heeded," he added.

"They are giving me death threats since the filing of the case," the principal said and alleged that his request for police deployment has been ignored.

The deputy inspector general (DIG) of Rangpur police range Binoy Krishna Bala ordered the district police superintendent (SP) Saleh Mohammad Tanveer to ensure security and safety of students as well as the principal after he had informed him about the threats, Das said.

"The Shibir activists are still roaming around freely," he said.

The SP acknowledged the order but denied the allegation. "We have never said that we would not deploy forces. We will send the forces at the earliest."

Pro-government student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League's Rangpur city unit and general students have taken out procession on the college campus protesting against the demolition.

The protesters held a meeting after the procession and declared a ban on political activities of Shibir on the campus.