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Published : 16 Jul 2024, 05:27 PM
A student has been killed during a clash between police and quota protesters in front of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur.
About 100 people, including students and police personnel, were injured in the clash at the Park intersection in front of the university on Tuesday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Abu Sayeed from the 12th batch at Begum Rokeya University. He hailed from Babunpur village in Pirganj Upazila. He was one of the conveners of the university’s quota protests.
Dr Md Yunus Ali, director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, said the student was brought to the emergency department at 4pm with bullet wounds. He had died before his arrival at the hospital.
“Our emergency department’s medical officer said the victim had bullet injuries. We didn’t want to hand over the body [to the students] as we had some procedures left. But there were many students there and they took the body by force. I have heard that police are trying to retrieve the body,” he said.
Saifuzzaman Faruqi, additional police commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, said: “A person has died. We are trying to confirm the identity of the victim and how he died.”
As part of a pre-scheduled programme, the students brought out a procession from the Rangpur Zilla School intersection at 1pm. Another group of protesters joined the procession at the city’s Lalbag Khamar Mor area.The protesters marched to entrance No. 1 of the Begum Rokeya University. The police obstructed the students when they attempted to enter the campus, triggering a clash between the police and quota protesters. Police fired rubber bullets in retaliation to the brickbats hurled by the protesters.
At one point, the city’s Chhatra League leaders and activists joined the university unit. They chased the protesters who conducted a counter-chase afterwards. The clashes continued until 3:30pm.
