Pro-govt Chhatra League leaders attack JnU students agitating for halls

Bangladesh Chhatra League has attacked Jagannath University (JnU) students agitating for residential halls over ‘a leadership battle’ with Left-leaning orgnisations.

The allegation came from the movement’s Co-ordinator Monirul Islam Rajon who claimed that Chhatra League’s JnU unit President Shariful Islam and General Secretary Sirajul Islam led the attack around 10:30am on Sunday.

Sirajul Islam is seen physically assaulting some participants of the rally in a video grab during the incident.

The students took out the rally around 9:30 am after locking down the administrative and the new buildings of the university, said Rajon.

He claimed that the two Chhatra League leaders dragged him to the underground floor of the new building.

“As our rally reached the main entrance they (Sirajul Islam and Shariful Islam) attacked us calling us to wage the movement under the leadership of Chhatra league,” Rajon told bdnews24.com.

“At one point, Sirajul and other Chhatra League leaders started hitting me and other agitating students. Nasir sir from the English department finally came to our rescue,” he said.

Proctor of JnU Nur Mohammad said: “I have not received any complaint yet, but will look into the matter only if a complaint is made.”

Neither Sirajul Islam nor Shoriful Islam received calls when bdnews24.com tried to reach them.

Students of Jagannath University have been waging the movement since Aug 2 demanding construction of new residential halls in a spot where the Dhaka Central Jail was situated previously on Nazimuddin Road in Old Dhaka.

The movement started with a call on Facebook by “Jagannath Bishwobiddalay Poribar,” who eventually suspended the movement as leftist organisations turned active.

The leftist organisations had been marking Chhatra League as an opponent of the ongoing movement while Chhatra League claims that most of the participants of the movement belong to their organisation.

On Saturday night, Shariful and Sirajul in a Facebook post announced to start their programme at 8am on Sunday.