Chhatra League activists holding sticks prowl the Islamic University campus in Kushtia on Saturday during an attack on teachers rallying against the treasurer in which at least 50 teachers were injured. — New Age photo

At least 50 teachers were injured, as the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists attacked the Islamic University teachers kept them confined and forced them to withdraw their agitation programme against the university treasurer on Saturday.
Islamic University Teachers Association, Bangabandhu Parishad, Zia Parishad, Green Forum and Progressive Students’ Alliance at the university condemned the attack.
The teachers of the university in Kushtia had been agitating for long demanding removal of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor and treasurer.
The government recently removed the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor, but not the treasurer.
On the other hand, the students have been agitating for resumption of the classes and exams.
Witnesses said that the teachers association and Bangabandhu Parishad leaders met the new vice-chancellor, Abdul Hakim Sarkar, at his office and demanded immediate removal of treasurer M Shahjahan Ali, AHM Aktarul Islam (Zillu) and student advisor Lokman Hakim at about 1:30pm.
Hearing this, a group of ruling Awami League-backed Chhatra League activists, with outsiders led by university unit BCL secretary Shamsujjaman Tuhin and joint secretary Mahmud Hassan Lenin, forced out the from the teachers association office and kept it under lock and key. They also vandalised classrooms.
As the teachers took shelter at the teachers’ lounge, the Chhatra League men, brandishing firearms, pounced on them breaking open the door and beat them up injuring 50 teachers, the witnesses said.
Two rounds of gunshots were also heard.
Teachers’ association president Nazibul Haque, general secretary Iqbal Hossain, IU unit Bangabandhu Parishad vice-president Mahabubur Rahman, joint secretary Jahangir Hossain, IU Zia Parishad general secretary Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan and Green Forum president Abu Sina were also injured.
University unit Chhatra League president, secretary and vice-chancellor’s personal secretary Zillur Rahman also forced the teachers association president to withdraw work abstention, the witnesses said.
Neither any police nor the university proctor was seen on the spot.
The police superintendent in Kushtia, Mafij Uddin, told reporters, ‘I have no responsibility on the campus.’
After the withdrawal of the teachers’ work abstention, Chhatra League activists at about 4:30pm withdrew blockade they had enforced on the Kushtia-Khulna highway at about 10:30am.
IU unit Chhatra Legaue president Jahangir Hossain, however, denied the allegation of BCL activists’ involvement in the attack on the teachers and said that the teachers who were not taking classes were beaten up by general students.
The vice-chancellor, Abdul Hakim, condemned the attack on teachers.
Earlier on 19 November, 2012, the teachers were also hurt in an attack by Chhatra League activists at the university.
On January 10, 2013, the authorities closed Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur after 15 people including six teachers had been injured as Chhatra League men threw acid at and beat teachers and students rallying for the removal of the vice-chancellor.