Shibir activists lob bombs at CU faculty bus, 14 injured

At least 14 people were injured on Wednesday when handmade bombs were lobbed at a bus carrying faculty members of the Chittagong University (CU).

Nine have been rushed to the Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, said the CU Medical Centre's Chief Medical Officer Kazi Saifullah.

Five others including the driver of the bus received first-aid at the university's medical centre.

CU Teachers' Association General Secretary Md 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 10 am at Hathajari's Balir Tal area.

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

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

Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) is the student affiliate of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

The nine taken to the CMCH are Biochemistry department's lecturers Sonam Akter and Sunanda Baidya, Applied Physics lecturer Sabrina Alam, Social Sciences lecturer Fatema-Tuz-Zohra, Management Studies department's associate professor Shirin Ara Chowdhury, Chemistry department's assistant professor Syeda Halima Begum, Islamic History lecturer Rawshan Ara Afroze, Anthropology department assistant professor Md Ashrafuzzaman and Accounting department student Amrita Nag.

CMCH director Brig Gen Shahidul Gani told bdnews24.com that they have splinter injuries.

"One of the nine has been given first aid. Four of them developed ear problems due to sound effect. One has been admitted to Orthopaedics while three others have been admitted in the casualty ward," he said.

Police said that Shibir activists were behind the attack.

"We came to know that a group of people riding in 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.

Police have detained five over the incident. Of them, two confessed of being involved in the attack, said the police officer.

A student strike was called from Aug 31 under the banner of ‘Residential Hall Students’ after the authorities closed down the ‘Islami Chhatra Shibir-dominated’ Suhrawardy Hall when police found several hand bombs and local weapons there.

The raid followed a clash between them and the ruling party student affiliate Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on the campus on Aug 24.

On Jan 12, CU authorities shut down the Shah Amanat Residential Hall after two students died in a clash between ICS and BCL activists.

On Sept 1, miscreants hurled handmade bombs from a field at Choudhuryhaat targetting a shuttle train headed for the university on Monday.

A CU teachers' bus was also damaged on Sept 4 at the port city's Pahartali area.