25 arrested over bomb attack on Chittagong University teachers

Police have arrested 25 men from Chittagong University thought to be involved in Islami Chhatra Shibir’s attack on a bus carrying university teachers.

Raiding the privately owned students dormitories on the campus since Wednesday morning after the attacks took place, police found handmade bombs, sharp weapons and bomb-making equipment, Chittagong Additional Superintendent of Police Md Shahidullah said.

At least 14 people including 11 CU faculty members were injured around 10am Wednesday when handmade bombs were lobbed at a university bus.

Five Shibir men were arrested immediately after the attack.

Throughout the day police raided the ‘cottages’, or privately owned dorms, that are known as Shibir strongholds.

“In the cottages we’ve detained at least 20 people. Near one of the cottages, Khatib Manjil, we found several sharp weapons, nine handmade bombs, a pipe gun and bomb-making equipment,” Shahidullah said.

The detained men could not immediately be identified. The five caught after the attack are Akhtaruzzaman, Sabbir Howladar, Md Towhid, Imran Ali and Md Yunus.

Assistant Superintendent of Police AFM Nizam Uddin said these five had confessed to being involved in the bombing.

Nine of the injured were rushed to the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital.

Teachers held a protest march on the campus in the afternoon.

Teachers association President Benu Kumar Dey said they met the vice-chancellor immediately after the incident and he had assured the teachers of providing them additional security.

He said the vice chancellor had said university buses would move under police protection from Thursday.

That day, the association will hold an emergency meeting, he said, and later a protest rally.

Following a clash between Shibir and the ruling party student affiliate Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on the campus on Aug 24, police raided the ‘Shibir-dominated’ Suhrawardy Hall and found several hand bombs and local weapons there.

The university closed the hall down the next day.

On Jan 12, CU authorities shut down the Shah Amanat Residential Hall after two students died in a clash between Shibir and BCL activists. This hall was also controlled by Shibir activists.

A student strike was called from Aug 31 under the banner of ‘Residential Hall Students’ after this.

On Sept 1, miscreants hurled handmade bombs from a field at Choudhuryhaat targetting a shuttle train headed for the university. A teachers’ bus was attacked on Sept 4 at the port city's Pahartali area.

Teachers association Secretary Towhid Hasan told bdnews24.com three buses carrying teachers were on their way to the campus from the city.

Two of the buses were attacked by a group of young men around 10am at Hathajari's Balir Tal area.

CU Marketing Department teacher HM Kamrul Hasan, who was on one of the buses, said six to seven people started throwing bricks and handmade bombs at the bus.

"Chhatra Shibir has called this strike. They attacked the bus," he said.

"We came to know that a group of people riding autorickshaws have lobbed handmade bombs at the buses. Chhatra Shibir has called this strike. So we suspect it's their handiwork," said Hathajari Police Station OC Md Ismail.