Chittagong has slipped back into normal after waves of violent demonstrations rippled across the city in the wake of the murder of a Premier University student in a ‘factional feud’.
The port city was brought to its knees between Tuesday afternoon and evening after students took to the streets following the death of Nasim Ahmed Sohel, 23.
Sohel was also a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader.
He was stabbed at around 1pm on the private university’s campus during a scuffle near the WASA Intersection, police said. He died at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) at around 2:45pm.
General students along with BCL activists, armed with sticks, metal rods and handmade bombs, went on the rampage at different key city points blocking the streets, which led to city-wide gridlocks.
The protesters left the streets later in the evening after Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin assured them of justice.
Amidst the agitation, the Premier University was closed for an indefinite period.
Chawkbazar police OC Aziz Ahmed said senior and junior Business Faculty students of the university had engaged in the scuffle over the formation of a committee for a farewell reception for a batch.
Sohel’s classmates said he was associated with the BCL. His Facebook profile also says he was an executive committee member of the BCL Chittagong metropolitan unit.
Witnesses said the senior students beat up a junior student in the afternoon. Leading to the scuffle. Sohel was stabbed when he went to stop them.
Students said the attackers had brought sharp weapons inside their bags. They were also accompanied by outsiders.
When the news of Sohel’s death got out, agitated students blockaded the streets in front of the university’s main campus at Prabartak intersection, Andarkilla, Cheragi Hill intersection, Agrabad, and Muradpur, causing severe gridlocks and disrupting traffic.
bdnews24.com Correspondent Uttam Sen Gupta said a number of BCL members at that time vandalised several cars and shops at Prabartak intersection.
CMP North Zone Additional Deputy Commissioner Tarek Ahmed said two separate groups had demonstrated there.
The demonstrations later spread to other areas including Bahaddarhat, Gani Bakery, Chawkbazar, GEC intersection and Gol Paharh intersection.
BCL activists blocked streets in those areas, which witnessed widespread violence.
Earlier, students had vandalised the administrative building of the university, several cars and shops near it, bdnews24.com Photojournalist Sumon Babu said.
They later demonstrated with Sohel’s body.
bdnews24.com Correspondent Mostofa Yusuf said the university’s students had vandalised a pickup vans and several rickshaws at around 4pm near the campus.
Senior Correspondent Mintu Chowdhury said another group of BCL activists vandalised cars and detonated two handmade bombs at Cheragi Hill intersection after taking out a march in the evening.
Mayor and Chittagong Awami League metropolitan unit General Secretary Nasir Uddin went to see Sohel’s body at the CMCH after persuading the protesters to call off their demonstrations at around 6:30pm.
However, Premier University Vice-Chancellor Anupam Sen said the clashes and death of the student were not result of a political feud.
He also contended that most of the protesters were from outside the university.
But students said Sohel’s murder was the fallout of a rivalry between two BCL factions trying to have the final say over the farewell event.
Some saw it as the ‘long shadow’ of the Awami League’s feud between rival factions led by former mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Nasir.
Chittagong AL’s metropolitan unit President Mohiuddin Chowdhury also condemned the clashes and suspected a ‘larger plot’ against the university at play. But Nasir saw the violence a ‘systematic protest’ by the students.
Both of them, however, came out to criticise the murder and demanded arrest of those behind it.
Mayor Nasir said he had asked police to stop the killers from fleeing the city.
“If anyone helps the killers to flee Chittagong, we’ll consider them accessory to the murder.”
Chawkbazar police OC Aziz Ahmed said they had detained four people after the clashes and collected CCTV footage for investigation.
Chittagong BCL in a media statement on Tuesday night also demanded justice for murdered Sohel.
Source: bdnews24