15 injured as police open fire on EWU demonstrators

At least 15 people injured as the students of East West University clashed with police at Rampura in Dhaka on Wednesday during their demonstration against recently imposed 7.5 per cent value added tax on tuition fees of private universities.
Mashfiqur Rahman, the additional registrar of the university, who was bullet wound in police firing, was admitted to United Hospital.
Authorities of East West University after meeting in the evening decided to suspend its classes and examinations for Thursday, said proctor Anindita Paul.
Witnesses said the students took to the streets at Pragati Sarani in front of the university campus around 1:30pm.
They started their demonstration blocking the busy road connected between Mouchak and Kuril demanding withdrawal of the additional tax.
Around 2:00pm, police started firing rubber bullets, teargas canister and charging batons as the students refused to leave the street, ensuing a clash, witnesses said.
The additional registrar Mashfiqur Rahman and 15 others students were injured in the clash, said the university public relation officer SM Mohiuddin.
Badda police officer-in-charge Abdul Jalil said the students threw stones when police urged them to leave the busy street.
‘Police later successfully took control of the situation’, he said adding that the students blockaded the busy road for about half-an-hour.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner [Gulshan division], Mostaq Ahmed said the police did not attack on the students, rather they cleared the road as the students were not responding to police call.
Students said they were returning to their campus after peaceful demonstration. ‘But the police irrationally charged on us’, said a student of computer science department.
The university’s public relations officer, SM Mohiuddin, said the university authority was considering about taking legal measure against police for their ‘illegal power exercise’ on students and teachers.
The government slapped 7.5 per cent VAT for private universities in the latest budget. Several private university students have demonstrated against the move.