Protests paralyse univs, trigger traffic chaos

Protests paralyse univs, trigger traffic chaos 
Police, BCL attacks mark two-day pitched battles at DU
Staff Correspondent
Daylong protests of jobseekers and university students for reduction of quota in government jobs paralysed education at public universities and triggered traffic chaos across the country on Monday while protesters at the Dhaka University were attacked repeatedly by the police and ruling party activists for the second day.
Leaders of the protests, however, in the evening suspended the protests for one month as the government promised to review the existing quota system in the meantime but a disgruntled group of students rejected the decision.
Students boycotting classes continued protests for five-point demands, including reduction of quota to 10 per cent from the existing 56 per cent in government jobs.
They continued to fight pitched battles with the police and activists of ruling Awami Leagued-backed student body Bangladesh Chhatra League which began on Sunday night at the Dhaka University.
Jahangirnagar University students were also attacked by cops when they went to block highway in front of the campus.
Protests also halted traffic on busy highways like Dhaka-Aricha, Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Mymensingh, Dhaka-Rangpur and Khulna-Kushtia highways amid heavy presence of cops.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina while chairing the weekly cabinet meeting at her Tejgaon office blamed main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party for instigating the movement as the party, she said, failed in the movement for the release of its jailed chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Clockwise, from top left, students of Rajshahi University block Dhaka-Rajshahi highway, students of Barisal B M College block the road in front of the campus, students of Chittagong University block Sholoshahar railway station and students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology stage demo in front of main entrance on Monday, demanding reduced quota in government jobs. — New Age photos

Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform of the protesters, also demanded recruitment of jobseekers in vacant posts on the basis of merit if eligible candidates were not found under the quota, an end to special recruitment tests for quota candidates and a single age limit for all jobseekers.
They are on the street as 56 per cent quotas are reserved in government jobs – 30 per cent for freedom fighters’ children and grandchildren, 10 per cent for women, 10 per cent for districts lagging behind, 5 per cent for ethnic minorities and 1 per cent for physically challenged people.
Parishad joint convener Rashed Khan said that at least 217 students were injured in attacks by Chhatra League and cops. At least 40 were detained by police at places. He said that they would continue their movement until the demands were met.
‘They [protestors] have suspended their movement till May 7 as the government has taken a plan to review the existing quota system’ road transport and bridges minister Obaidaul Quader said after a meeting with a group of protestors at his ministry in the afternoon.
He also said that people who carried out attacks on Dhaka University vice-chancellor’s house would face legal actions. The government will take necessary steps to provide treatment to injured people, he added.
Parishad convener Hasan Al Mamun said that they suspended their programme for one month.
The meeting also decided to release the arrested protesters unconditionally, he said.
When leaders of protesting students returned to Teacher-Student Centre of the Dhaka University and one joint convenor Rashed Khan announced the decision of suspension of the protests, a group of protesters rejected the announcement.
Many started to leave the TSC area where the protestors were holding sit-in but several hundred continued their movement and brought out procession that paraded the campus at about 8:30pm.
At about 9:30pm, disgruntled group representative Bipasha Chowdhury called off their protests for Monday. ‘We would hold a meeting at about 11:00am on Tuesday our next course of action,’ she said. 
On the campus, police fired tear gas shells, shot rubber bullets, used water cannons, charged baton and Chhatra League activists joined them in the attacks on the protesters who retaliated throwing brick chips virtually turning the campus a field of pitched battles.
Chase and counter chase between cops along with Chhatra League and the protesters began at about 7:50pm on Sunday and continued till Monday afternoon with an interval in the morning.
Chhatra League leaders called their fellows of different units other than the university. Over the night, ruling party students gathered at the Madhu’s Canteen and very often brought out processions.
Backed by cops, Chhatra League activists armed with bamboo sticks chased out the protesters who took shelters at TSC and other places. The female students continued protests until morning.
During the Chhatra League attack, a group of masked attackers unprecedentedly stormed into the residence of the vice-chancellor early Monday and ransacked whatever they found inside, and torched vehicles and other properties for over two hours.
Vice-chancellor Akhtaruzzaman, along with his three family members and a few journalists, was inside the residence during the attack.
He could not identify the attackers but said, ‘My students could not carry out such attack.’
Dhaka University syndicate at an emergency meeting Monday night formed a five-member committee headed by university pro-vice-chancellor Nasrin Ahmed to probe the vandalism at vice-chancellor’s house on the campus early Monday.
The committee was asked to submit its report in two weeks, said a university release. 
Dhaka University Teachers Association will hold a human chain in front of Aparajeyo Bangla at 11:00am today to protest the vandalism at the vice-chancellor’s residence.
Condemning the attack, the association demanded proper investigation and quick trial of the perpetrators, said a statement.
Again in the morning, the demonstrators started gathering around the TSC and Raju Sculpture and started putting barricade to prevent outsiders from coming into the campus. 
At about noon, the protesters chased a large number of Chhatra League activists coming from different parts of the city.
Several hundred of unknown faces were seen gathering around the Madhu’s canteen and many of them could not answer of why they came to the campus.
Until afternoon, the protesters were setting fire to wood, tyres and light objects to get rid of the impact of the tear gas. 
They beat up a number of outsiders who came on the campus to help Chhatra League activists. They also attacked a few journalists for capturing those and on allegations of ‘propagating’ or ‘airing wrong information’ about their movements.
A few journalists, including Independent television reporter Abdullah Al Rafi Shakil and Channel 24 cameraperson Ripu Ahmed, were assaulted near TSC intersection.
At about 1:45pm, the demonstrators chased a platoon of cops, pelted stones, assaulted two police officers at TSC and asked them to remove water cannon and armoured personnel carrier parked there.
Being chased, the cops again fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters.
Until evening, the police allowed none to get into the Shahbahg police station where several dozens of protesters were reportedly detained.
Constable Pankaj at Shahbagh police station said, ‘The police station is closed for the day.’
Shipping minister Shajahan Khan could not attend a pre-scheduled programme at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology at about 6:00pm.
The minister could reach High Court intersection and sought police help. The police could not give any protection due the situation and he was forced to call the organisers to say that he could not attend the programme. 
The organisers later their public address system announced why the minister failed to join the programme. 
Until 8:00pm, both Shahbagh and New Market police stations said no case was filed by the authorities.
An officer at Shahbagh police station said that senior officers were on talks on how to prosecute the protesters.
New Age Jahangirnagar University correspondent reported that at least 60 students and 40 cops were injured as cops attacked protesters staging demonstrations on Dhaka-Aricha highway.
Witnesses said several thousand students brought out a procession on the campus and blocked the busy highway for over two hours from about 10:00am, disrupting traffic on the busy and important highway for communication between capital and northern and southern districts.
At about 12:30pm, cops charged baton, fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters triggering a chase and counter-chase.
At least 60 students were injured during the police action and they were taken to Enam Medical College Hospital and university medical centre, university unit Parishad convener Armanul Islam Khan said.
Dhaka North additional superintendent of police Saidur Rahamn said that they fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters for refusing their request for withdrawal of the blockade.
Rajshahi University correspondent reported that students of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology put barricade on Dhaka-Rajshahi highway for about six hours from 10:00am in front the campus.
New Age Staff Correspondent in Sylhet reported that Chhatra League activists resisted protestors from holding protests at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in the morning and drove them away from campus. Protestor, however, hold the demonstration at the noon.
Campus unit Chhatra League acting president Ruhul Amin told New Age that they resisted no student from observing strike. 
‘We asked them not to resist anyone from entering the campus as they had no right to do it,’ he added. 
New Age correspondent in Comilla reported that Comilla University students blockaded Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Kandirpar for two hours while New Age correspondent in Tangail reported that college students blacked Dhaka Tangail highway for about half an hour at Koratia by pass intersection.
New Age correspondent in Mymensingh reported that Bangladesh Agricultural University students blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh rail line on the campus for about one hour and a half from 1:00pm.
Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University students also blocked Dhaka-Mymensingh highway for about two hours in By Pass intersection from about 1:00pm.
Hundreds of students Begum Rokeya University and Carmichael Government College blocked Rangpur-Dhaka highway at Modern intersection of Rangpur for about two hours from about 11:00am, reported New Age correspondent in Rangpur.
New Age correspondent in Barisal said that Barisal University students blocked Barisal-Patukhali highway from early hours of Sunday till Monday midday at in front of the campus.
Barisal Bandar police officer-in-charge Golam Mostofa said traffic become normal at about 2:00pm as the protestors left the place.
Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University students blacked Rangpur-Dinajpur highway in front of the campus for four hours from 9:00pm.
Protests across the country took heavy tolls on traffic across the country. Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association vice-president Abul Kalam told New Age that regular vehicle movement across the country was disrupted because of the protests.
Almost no vehicle left Dhaka till noon as the students blocked different places of Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Tangial and Dhaka-Myemnsingh highways, he said.
National Human Rights Commission, rights groups Ain o Salish Kendra and Human Rights Forum Bangladesh and Samajtantrik Chhtra Front condemned the attacks on protesting students.
Organisers of Mangal Shobhajatra, a mass procession that takes place at dawn on the Pahela Baishak the first day of the Bangla New Year, in a statement Monday night expressed concern saying that clash between students and law enforcing agencies for two days were hampering their preparation for Mangal Shobhajatra.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net