Staff Reporter with inputs from DU Correspondent :
At least six people were killed and over 400 others injured in clashes among quota protesters, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) — the ruling Awami League’s student wing — and police in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Rangpur on Tuesday.
Of those killed, three were in Chattogram, two in capital Dhaka, and one in Rangpur, according to police and hospital sources.
In Dhaka, at least two people were killed, and over 150 injured, including 15 protesters shot by leaders and activists of the Awami League (AL), Jubo League, and BCL during clashes in the city.
The students, from various educational institutes, including private universities, colleges, and even some schools, took to the streets at different locations in the capital where they were attacked by AL and BCL men.
At Science Lab intersection, two people, including one student, were killed in clashes among BCL, Jubo League, and protesting students.
At least five students were shot, and over a hundred injured in an attack by the Dhaka College unit of BCL. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including Popular Hospital.
Earlier, agitated students from Dhaka College, City College, Ideal College, and other nearby colleges gathered in the Science Lab area and staged a demonstration.
BCL and Jubo League men, armed with ramadas, rods, iron pipes, and sticks, attacked the students after 2 pm, resulting in a clash.
Both sides hurled bricks at each other, and explosions were heard during the clashes. BCL and Jubo League leaders and activists eventually fired on the students.
Shortly before this incident, a young man was beaten to death near Dhaka College.
The deceased, around 25 years old, was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead, according to Bachchu Mia, in charge of the DMCH Police Outpost.
Additionally, four students from Jagannath University were shot, and another was stabbed in the afternoon during demonstrations near the campus. The protesters were attacked at Rai Saheb Bazar when they brought out a protest procession around 3:30 pm.
A clash also occurred in the Chankhanarpool area between local AL, Jubo League, BCL leaders, activists, and protesting students. Several people were injured, including at least four students who were shot. The injured were taken to DMCH.
Thousands of students gathered at Central Shaheed Minar on Tuesday. Students from various educational institutions occupied the road from Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute to Bangabandhu Tower and Doyel Chattor of Dhaka University around 3:30 PM.
Leaders and activists of AL, Jubo League, and BCL, under the leadership of Omar Bin Abdal Aziz, councilor of ward No 27 of Dhaka South City Corporation, took a position at Chankhanarpool intersection.
Around 4:30 pm, they attacked the students, resulting in both sides chasing and beating each other. Hand grenades were thrown at the students.
Meanwhile, BCL members gathered at the Raju Sculpture Memorial of DU at 2 pm, armed with rods, bricks, sticks, and other weapons. The DU proctorial team seized some sticks from the rally venue of BCL.
Students blocked roads in several important areas of the capital, including Science Lab, Dhanmondi, Mirpur 10, Mirpur 14, Merul Badda, Bashundhara residential areas, Notre Dame College, Jatrabari, and Kajla, in protest against the BCL attacks and to demand quota reform in government jobs.
In Chattogram, three people, including a Chattogram College student, were killed during a clash between quota protesters and BCL activists in the afternoon.
The deceased were identified as Wasim Akram, 24, a student of Chittagong College, M. Faruk, 25, a furniture shop worker, and an unidentified individual.
In Rangpur, a student was killed in a clash between quota protesters, BCL men, and police at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) on Tuesday noon.
The deceased was identified as Abu Said, a student of the English Department, session 2019-29. Quota protesters clashed with police and BCL men when they attempted to enter the campus from Khamor More area.
Police fired 200 rounds to disperse the students. At least 50 people, including three journalists, were injured. Four seriously injured students were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital.
Rangpur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shahjahan confirmed the fatality. Dr. Mohammad Yunus Ali, Director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, stated that several injured students were brought to the hospital, with one found dead.