BEC students injured as police charge baton

Barishal Correspondent :

Barishal Engineering College (BEC) students despite the rain blocked the Barishal-Kuakata road on Wednesday (July 9) morning to noon demanding cancellation of the affiliated structure of Dhaka University and ensure independence on the model of BIT.
This has stopped the movement of vehicles on the Barishal-Bhola road crossing in front of the campus.
Several students participated in the programme blocking the road at Saheberhat area of Sadar Upazila passed in front of the campus . The students took part in the movement by creating obstacles throwing tree trunks on the road for about four hours stopping traffic in both directions suffering passengers.
A large number of police were deployed at the scene. Army members also took up positions outside the campus to control the situation.
When the police tried to remove the students from the road around 2 pm, there was first an argument, then a scuffle.
At one stage, the law enforcement agencies lathi-charged and students forced to withdraw the road blockade.
Among the injured Shuvo Chandra Sarkar, Shahbaj Ashrafi, Ainan Chowdhury, Sacheton, Anupam, Bador, Mohibullah, Aditya Kundu, Rakib Mia, Mehedi Hasan, Mahbub, Nayon. Bithi have been admitted at Barishal Sher E Bangla Medical College Hospital. Deputy Police Commissioner of Barishal Metropolitan Police Belal Hossain said that they had been blocking the highway since morning.
He said that the road communication system of the three divisions was disrupted due to the blockade of the national highway since morning. The police and the army stopped them when they wanted to vandalize a freight truck. At that time, when they threw bricks and stones, the police charged them with baton and removed them from the road, police official said.
Agitating student E.H. Iran said that for two long months, they have been protesting by boycotting classes and exams and completely shutting down academic activities, demanding the formation of an independent commission.
But as the higher authorities did not take any effective action, so they were forced to block the road. At one stage, tension arose between the two sides when the police used batons to disperse the protesters.
Our program will continue until our demands are met.
The students alleged that at least 13 of them were injured in the police’s mild baton charge. They have been asked to leave the road to reduce public suffering, they denied.

So law enforcement agencies in the presence of the college principal Police charged baton after students denied to end the road blockade,
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Barishal Bandar Police Station Rafiqul Islam said.
Later, the students moved away from the road and took up a position in front of the college campus to continue the protest.
Meanwhile, Barishal Bandar Police Station and army members arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control.
However, no official statement was received from the police, butBarishal Sadar Upazila Executive Magistrate (Land) Azharul Islam said that discussions are underway with the students in phases.
He also assured that their delegation will be seated with the responsible persons at the district and divisional levels.
Barishal Engineering College Principal Liton Rabbani said that a letter has been sent to the ministry regarding the students’ demands and discussions are underway with senior officials.