BCL factions battle it out at RU

Two rival factions of ruling Awami League student affiliate have clashed at a Rajshahi University residential hall.

No one was injured in the confrontation that took between factions of the Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL) late on Friday at the university's Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, said Motihar Police Station OC Alamgir Hossain.

After hearing about the trouble, the police went to the hall and controlled the situation .

Eight to ten Chhatra League members including ‘Narayan’, ‘Monir’, ‘Nayeem’, ‘Nishan’ started attacking room-210 at around 1:00am, according to students from the hall.

The group armed themselves with pistols, local weapons, sticks and rods rom the 3rd floor of the Prom Block under the directions of ‘Shamim’, president candidate from BCL’s Latif Hall unit and a fourth year student of Applied Physics.

The armed students threatened another BCL president candidate Mizanul Haq Mizan, also a fourth year Applied Physics student.

A quarrel boiled over into a clash after general secretary candidate Shujon Hossain, a third year Islamic History student, tried to intervene.

Shamim's followers dispersed at one stage and Mizan’s supporters locked the main gate of the dormitory and began flaunting their weapons.

Rooms 301, 303, 305 and 318 on the 3rd floor were also vandalised during the clash.

The police, however, were not able to find any weapons at the scene, said OC Alamgir.

The hall's provost professor Bishwa Nath Shikdar said, "I went straight to the hall after hearing of the clash. The issue has been resolved".

Rajshahi University's Chhatra League President Mizanur Rahman Rana said, "It was simply a misunderstanding. The matter is now resolved."

‘Shamim’ came to attack him armed with weapons for no reason, said Mizanul Haq Mizan .

Shamim reacted. "We went to discuss things with them. But the situation took a wrong turn without anyone intending it that way ".