Anti-govt student unrest flares up in Bangla

Dhaka, Aug 22: Anti-government student unrest escalated in Bangladesh today as militant students fought pitched battles with riot police in Dhaka and other major cities leaving more than 200 people, including police, injured.

Thousands of college and university students joined a general strike demanding withdrawal of the state of emergency imposed by the army-backed caretaker government on January 11.

The student protests erupted on Monday when some armymen beat up students and humiliated a teacher of Dhaka University during a football match. In view of the fierce street agitation the government pulled out an army camp from the campus early this morning.

However, general students called for a strike at educational institutions demanding apology from the army chief for Monday's incident and withdrawal of the state of emergency.

In capital Dhaka, police fired barrage of tear gas canisters and rubber bullets to disperse violent students and mob at Dhaka University and in old Dhaka. The protestors set afire several buses and cars turning the entire area into a battle field.

In the country's northern region, students of Rajshahi University and Bogra Government College clashed with police and put barricades on the highway disrupting road communication with Dhaka.

The agitating students of Jahangirnagar University in Savar, 40 km from Dhaka, boycotted their classes and staged sit-in on the highway disrupting traffic movement towards the capital.

Reports of student unrest was also received from Chittagong University in southeastern Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, teachers of Dhaka University brought out a procession with black banner from the campus. They demanded that the army should be sent back to the barracks immediately.

Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) president Dr Sadrul Amin led the procession while thousands of students joined their teachers.

The students burned down an effigy of army chief general Moeen U Ahmed.

At a rally on the campus, the DUTA president thanked the government for pulling out the army camp but called for immediate withdrawal of the emergency for restoration of a democratically elected government.

UNI