World
India
More than 150 students were injured in violent clashes at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology in southwestern Bangladesh on Tuesday, underscoring deep tensions between rival student groups that played a crucial role in last year’s national revolution.
The violence broke out in the afternoon when the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attempted to recruit students on campus. This move was met with resistance from Students Against Discrimination, a group that led the protests that resulted in the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last August.
Dozens Hospitalized, Police Reinforcements Deployed
Khulna police officer Kabir Hossain confirmed to AFP that at least 50 individuals were taken to the hospital for treatment following the skirmish.
“The situation is now under control, and an extra contingent of police has been deployed,” Hossain stated.
Jahidur Rahman, a communications student, described the extent of the injuries, revealing that many students suffered wounds from thrown bricks and sharp weapons. He estimated that around 100 others sustained minor injuries.
Videos circulating on Facebook captured the intensity of the clash, showing students wielding scythes and machetes. The footage also depicted injured individuals being rushed to hospitals.
Khulna University Bangladesh Student Groups Acuse Each Other
Both groups involved in the confrontation accused each other of instigating the violence. Nasir Uddin Nasir, the BNP student wing chief, alleged that activists from the Islamist political party Jamaat had deliberately escalated tensions.
“Jamaat activists created this unwarranted clash,” Nasir told AFP.
However, local student Obayed Ullah disputed this claim, stating that BNP’s youth wing had ignored a long-standing policy prohibiting political party activities on campus.
“There is no presence of Jamaat on campus,” he asserted.
Nationwide Reaction To Khulna University Violence
The violent confrontation has sparked widespread outrage among students across Bangladesh. On Tuesday night, students at Dhaka University held a protest rally condemning BNP’s youth wing.
Students Against Discrimination, the group instrumental in last year’s revolution, continues to hold influence. Their protests led to the downfall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, forcing the former leader into exile after ruling for 15 years with an iron grip.
While BNP activists joined forces with student demonstrators in the final days of Hasina’s tenure, they did so in defiance of a brutal crackdown by security forces that claimed hundreds of lives.
BNP Expected to Dominate Upcoming Elections
With Bangladesh’s caretaker government preparing for elections scheduled for mid-next year, BNP is widely anticipated to secure a victory. However, student leaders who spearheaded the anti-Hasina movement have struggled to transform their activism into a sustained political movement.
