The decision was taken at a meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner's office at noon. DC Monaef Patwari, BM College Principal Nurul Hoq, district BNP Secretary Nazrul Islam, other ruling party leaders and Student Union representatives were present at the meeting.

Resident students of the college were asked to vacate all dormitories by 6 pm yesterday.

But on going Honours examinations will he held on schedule, the principal told this correspondent when asked over phone.

A tense situation prevailed in the divisional city yesterday as students mounted their agitation following Saturday's clashes that left over 100 people injured.

Saturday's clashes erupted as transport workers attacked students when they went to Natuallabad bus stand to barricade roads to press their demand for upgrading the BM College to a public university.

Police were deployed yesterday in all colleges in the city including the BM College. To tightened security, they herded students on campus to stave off street demonstrations and allowed people inside after checking identity cards.

Meanwhile, the agitating students of BM College, on the third day class boycott, vowed to continue their agitation and class boycott till their demand for upgrading the college and the attackers are arrested.

They held processions and rallies on the campus for the second day yesterday, ignoring a call for calm by the college authorities and Student Union leaders.

They burnt an effigy of college Principal Nurul Hoq and another for the Student Union leaders on the campus yesterday and pelted stones at the principal's office. One student-- Russel--was injured in the head in the violence, sources said.

At one stage, the general students tried to go out of the campus by breaking the gate. Police resorted to mild baton charge and kept them inside. None was hurt.

Meanwhile Principal Nurul Hoq held a meeting with BNP leaders and Students Union representatives at his office room and discussed the situation. He and the student leaders later urged students to keep calm, but those were ignored by students.

Some students leaders told this correspondent that general students, agitating for upgrading the college to a public university, are ignoring their appeals for calm and return to classes.

Twenty-six of the students injured in Saturday's clashes are still undergoing treatment at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. No one is in critical condition, hospital sources said yesterday.

Many of the injured students alleged that the college authorities did not care for their treatment and to inform their guardians.

The college principal even did not visit them at the hospital, they alleged.

BNP leaders in the divisional city are embarrassed because the clashing students and transport workers belong to the ruling party.

They have formed a 12-member committee headed by Mahmud Golam Salek, president of Barisal city BNP and of district bus owners association. Other members of the committee are district BNP secretary Nazrul Islam Rajon, city BNP secretary Asaduzzaman Khasru, Prof S M Ali Nesar of B M College, Sramik Dal leaders Yusuf Ali Khan Montu and Bashir Ahmed, Mossaraf Hossain, brother of district BNP President and Mayor Majibur Rahman Sarwar MP, city JCD President Mashiul Alam Sentu and transport workers' leaders Abdur Rashid and Mainul Islam Manik.