BANGLADESH

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has expelled seven of its activists for their involvement in factional clashes at Dhaka University on Thursday that left at least two injured.

The ruling Awami League's student front announced the punitive actions in a media statement signed by central BCL President H M Badiuzzaman Shohag and General Secretary Siddique Nazmul Alam on Friday afternoon.

The expelled activists are the university unit BCL Joint General-Secretary 'Sanjay', Zohurul Haque Hall unit activists 'Sharif' and 'Joy', Bangabandhu Hall unit activist 'Mehedi', Mohsin Hall unit activist 'Hannan' and Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall unit activists 'Saikat' and 'Taj'.

They have been directed not to take part in any programme of the party until their expulsion is withdrawn, the statement said.

At least two Chhatra League activists were injured in clashes between the supporters of two BCL factions of the university unit from Thursday afternoon to night.

They were identified as Fazlul Karim Riad of Islamic Studies department and Abdus Salam Shyamal of Institute of Education and Research, both second-year students.

Police have fired rubber bullets as they have clashed with students of Jahangirnagar University protesting against the arrest of a fellow student, leaving several people injured, police and witnesses said on Thursday.

At least five students suffered bullet injuries when police fired on them to disperse the protesters during the clash immediately after midnight on Wednesday.

The violence broke out after police arrested the student who allegedly attacked a leader of the ruling Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

In response to the police attack, the protesting students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway following the clash.

The students also vandalised the main gate of the university and its several other buildings.

The Rajshahi University has asked Bangladesh Chhatra League activists to stop fund-raising for the Padma bridge project, a day after a student was killed in a clash over the campaign.

It was none other than the university's Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Abdus Sobhan who had opened the campaign on July 12 with the slogan, 'It is us who will build the Padma bridge'.

The VC was the first to contribute Tk 500 to the fund.

According to versions of some BCL leaders, the gunfight that broke out between two factions of the ruling Awami League's student front in the early hours of Monday had stemmed from an argument over collection of money for the planned bridge.

The university administration decided to ask the BCL to call off the campaign on Tuesday. BCL leaders said they would give the money already collected in the campaign to the VC.

"I did not have any idea that such an incident would have arisen from such a small matter. After learning from the Finance Minister that money cannot be collected in the name of Padma bridge, we asked Chhatra League to stop collecting money in the name of building the bridge," said the university's Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Nurullah.

Earlier on Tuesday the morning on, Muhith said, "The government has not made any official announcement yet to collect money for the Padma bridge. Nobody was given the responsibility to collect fund. Those who extorted money are toll collectors. They should be punished."

The Pro-VC was also present at the inaugural ceremony of the fundraising campaign.

"I had gone there at the inaugural ceremony along with the Vice-Chancellor to inspire fund-raising after (we came to learn that) different progressive student organisations including the Chhatra League will collect money from the university teachers, students, officers and employees," said Prof Nurullah.

"We will give VC the money along with the boxes used for the collection," said BCL university unit President Ahmed Ali.

He, however, refused to accept that the bloody gunfight that claimed the life of one of their activists was triggered by the fundraising campaign.

One of the eight BCL activists expelled following the killing, Touhid Al Tuhin, had said that they collected Tk 18,000 so far.