Bangladesh Army personnel beated some innocent Dhaka University student, End of the day over 150 injured; 100 vehicles bashed; Army car burns.
Much of Dhaka city turned into battlegrounds as angry students continued fighting with police for the second day of violence.
Thousands of students came out of the dormitories with sticks and stones and fought with police on and around the campus, leaving at least 150 injured. They went on a frenzy, demanding removal of an army camp from the campus, and bashed at least 100 vehicles indiscriminately at Shahbagh, New Market, Nilkhet and other adjoining areas.
The protest gathered momentum as students from other educational institutions including BUET, Dhaka College, Jagannath University and Titumir College also marched onto the streets. Fighting crept across the city up to Satmasjid Road in the evening. Skirmishes with police were continuing when this report was filed at 10:30pm.
The protest fever quickly caught across the country as students of Jahangirnagar University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, Mymensingh Agricultural University, Islamic University at Kushtia, Carmichael University College in Rangpur, Brojomohon College in Barisal and few other institutions also joined ranks with the agitating Dhaka students.
The authorities later decided to remove the army camp from the Dhaka University campus and the government apologised Monday’s incident. But that could not douse the anger as students continued their fighting with police into the night.
Students protesting police and army ‘excesses’ called a strike at educational institutions across the country for today alongside an indefinite strike at DU. All scheduled examinations at the university and Home Economics College have been postponed till August 28.
In yesterday’s clash police fired several hundred teargas canisters and students responded by pelting stones and brickbats. At least three vehicles–two passenger buses and a pickup–were set ablaze while more than a hundred were vandalised at New Market, Shahbagh, Palashi, Science Laboratory Crossing, and Bangabazar areas.