Tensions brew as Chhatra Dal activists lock DU gates during blockade

They placed padlocks on nine DU gates, including Curzon Hall

The leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP, locked various gates of Dhaka University and displayed banners and posters on the campus during a fresh 48-hour blockade announced by the opposition group.

On Sunday, the first day of the blockade, they placed padlocks on nine DU gates, including the historic Curzon Hall. The university staff subsequently removed all the padlocks.

Some of the banners and posters put up by Chhatra Dal read: 'State renovation in progress, apologies for any inconvenience' and 'May the blockade to save the nation succeed'.

General students expressed their solidarity with the movement to save the nation by boycotting classes and exams, according to Dhaka University Chhatra Dal Joint General Secretary Md Tariqul Islam.

However, he claimed that the university administration and some Awami League-affiliated teachers pressured students to attend academic classes and exams, prompting Chhatra Dal to stage protests by locking the gates to serve the interests of the general students.

Tensions escalated on campus due to the incident, and members of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, were seen mobilising.

Dhaka University Chhatra League General Secretary Tanvir Hasan Saikat urged Chhatra Dal to transition from "invisible politics" to "visible politics", expressing disappointment in their limited presence since the BNP's violent anti-government rally on Oct 28.

Proctor Md Maksudur Rahman noted that the padlocks were swiftly removed, and banners placed on the campus were taken down by the security team.

He emphasised that academic classes and exams were proceeding as scheduled to prevent students from falling behind in their studies.