30 injured as BCL, police clash in Ctg

At least 30 people, including five cops, were injured as the police and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation, clashed in Chittagong Tuesday afternoon over construction of a swimming pool. 
Chhatra League activists, who had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Chittagong Jela Krira Sangstha to scrap the construction of the swimming pool at outer stadium in the city, vandalised a portion of the under construction pool’s boundary wall and some construction materials as their demand was not met.
They also vandalised several shops and vehicles at Kazir Dewri in the port city during the clash. 
Local Chhatra League leaders claimed that 25 of their activists and leaders were injured while police claimed that five cops were injured in the clash.
Chittagong city Chhatra League general secretary Nurul Azim Rony said, ‘About 25 Chhatra League activists and leaders were injured and four of them – Amitabh Chowdhury Babu, Golam Samdani Jonny, Ripon Chowdhury Rinku and Wahidullah – sustained bullet injury.’ 
Chittagong Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (south) Mostain Hossain said, ‘At least five cops sustained minor injuries during the clash.’ He said that they would file a case in this connection.
Local leaders said that Chhatra League activists who clashed with the cops were loyal to Bangladesh Awami League’s Chittagong city unit president ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, also former city mayor for three consecutive terms.
Mohiuddin at a rally at Laldighi Maydan on April 10 demanded the cancellation of the swimming pool project. He alleged that the pool was being constructed destroying the open playground.
Mohiuddin from the rally also issued a 15-day ultimatum to incumbent mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, also the city AL general secretary, to cancel the project.
City Chhatra League on Sunday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to stop the construction of the pool. They also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Chittagong, who is the president of Jela Krira Sangstha.
At about 4:pm on Tuesday, several hundred of Chhatra League activists gathered in Kazir Dewri crossing, in front of the Outer Stadium and started demonstration against the pool. They tried to enter construction site. As police halted them, they sat in the road halting traffic in Kazir Dewari, Lalkhan Bazar, Love Lane, Zamal Khan and Almas Cinema Hall areas.
At one stage, Chhatra League activists entered the construction site and vandalised the fence surrounding the pool made of corrugated iron sheets. They also vandalised construction materials. 
They hurled brick chips at the cops, who also charge baton and fired tear gas shells and gunshots to disperse the protesters. The cops managed to take the situation under control at about 5:30 pm. 
Jela Krira Sangstha officials at a press conference on Tuesday claimed that there was no reason to drop the swimming pool project. 
They said that Chittagong would find huge number of swimmers if the pool was constructed. 
Sangstha vice-president Ali Abbas read out the written statement at the press conference at Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium. 

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