Seven opposition-aligned student organisations led by the BCL enforced a strike at the educational institutions across the country yesterday in protest at the police and JCD atrocities on the general students for the last six days in the wake of the death of a student at Shahbagh on Saturday.

Leaders and activists of the JCD's hall units cordoned off and guarded all the entrances to the campus from 6:00am to 5:00pm to keep their archrivals from making a comeback. The JCD men also guarded the "strategically important" points on the campus from 5:00pm to 10:00pm.

Different ward and Mohallah units of the JCD including Shibbari, DMCH, Ramna Thana, wards 56 and 57 were kept on alert just in case reinforcement was necessary.

"We have posted our activists at different points on the campus at night after being informed that the Chhatra League men could enter the campus at night," one of the top DU unit JCD leaders said, performing anonymity.

"We have been asked to drive out the Chhatra League men wherever they are found," said another leader of Suryasen Hall, adding they have split into small groups and been patrolling Shahbagh and areas close by.

"It is not necessary to come on the campus, carry on the job (fending off the BCL men)," a top DU unit leader was directing the hall unit leaders and activists put on duty at different entry points, when The Daily Star reached him on his cell phone.

BCL MEN CHASED
The JCD's Mohsin Hall unit chased down a group of around 30 BCL men led by its President Liaqat Sikder, who converged on the Tin Netar Mazar (The shrine for three national leaders) premises at about 7:00am. They opposition-backed activists tried to take out a procession only to be driven out of the campus area. BCL sources said at least two of their leaders were injured in the incident.

The JCD men, however, alleged that the BCL activists were brandishing "pistols" during the chase, a claim the BCL president dismissed as "false and fabricated".

JCD GUARD
The JCD high-ups rescheduled the duties of the hall units for the vigil on the DU entry points. Each team was allocated a minimum of Tk 1,000 for the job, according to campus sources.

The JCD men of Suryasen Hall guarded Shahbagh areas, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall the main gate of Suhrawardi Udyan, Ziaur Rahman Hall the Bangla Academy vicinity, Haji Mohammed Mohsin Hall the Doel Chattar, Jasimuddin Hall Madhu's Canteen, Fazlul Haque Hall Curzon Hall, Shahidullah Hall Science Annex and Shaheed Minar areas, Ekushey Hall Chankhar Pool, Jagannath Hall Buet gate, Salimullah Hall Palashi, and Sir AF Rahman and Sergeant Jahurul Haque Hall Nilkhet.

NO INITIATIVES
University authorities have taken no initiatives to defuse the tension at the country's premier university. When asked, Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof SMA Faiz told The Daily Star that he has spoken to the BCL president and would have a word with the JCD president to arrange a meeting tomorrow.

"I have asked the pro-VC, the treasurer and the proctor to take initiatives." He, however, said they would sit with the leaders of the two organisations only if there is an environment for dialogue. "I have also asked the provosts to take measurers to ensure co-existence of all student organisation leaders and activists," VC Faiz said.

NO SHIFT IN STANCE
Both the JCD and the BCL have not budged from their " no-talks-with-each-other" position and continue to blame each other for the escalating campus violence that has left more than 200 wounded in last six days.

JCD President Azizul Baree Helal said, "The students would not withdraw the campus cordon if the BCL does not apologies to them." He ruled out sitting with the BCL for restoring normalcy on the campus and said the BCL blasted a bomb on the campus on Tuesday to upset the peaceful atmosphere.

BCL General Secretary Nazrul Islam Babu also said they would not sit across the table with the JCD. Babu said they would force the authorities to take measurers to ensure co-existence of the rival student activists at the residential halls and bring back normalcy.

However, Babu and the JCD's Senior Vice President Sultan Salauddin Tuku believe that the ongoing spate of campus violence has greatly damaged the image of student politics and that the general people are losing confidence in the student leaders. They were against a repeat of the violent incidents, including the bomb explosion, to keep student politics on its track.

CASES, COUNTER CASES FILED
The BCL filed three criminal cases with the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka against four teachers of the Institute of Fine Arts, one researcher of Bangla Academy and 47 JCD leaders including DU unit President Hasan Mamun and General Secretary Saiful Islam Firoz on charges of unleashing violence on the campus.

The four teachers who stand accused are Ishrafil Pramanik Ratan, Azharul Islam Sheikh Chanchal, Debasish Pal and Abu Abedin Mohammad Kawsar Hasan Togor.

Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mohammad Mozibul Haque ordered a judicial inquiry into the incidents.

In the first case, BCL Organising Secretary Zakir Hossain Maruf accused 36 JCD leaders including Mamun and Firoz; BCL Publicity Secretary Abdul Alim accused 41 JCD leaders including the four teachers in the second; and in the third, the BCL's DU unit Publicity Secretary Ashrafur Rahman charged 14 JCD leaders and activists.

On the other hand, Shahidul Islam Babul, central vice president of JCD, filed a case with Ramna Police Station against 20 BCL men including its President Liakat Sikder.

JCD DU unit General Secretary Saiful Islam Firoz said they would file four more cases against the BCL leaders and activists for ransacking the proctor's office. Firoz termed the BCL cases 'a farce', which are meant to harass them.

PROBE BODY
The nine-member probe committee, which has seen three members quit, has yet to get down to its mandated tasks even four days into its formation. Its head and DU Treasurer Prof Syed Rashidul Hasan said only one member showed up for the scheduled meeting yesterday although they are to submit a report by June 5.

"I waited about one and a half hours today, but only one member came at the meeting," he said, adding that they would sit on June 4 to decide on the probe procedure.

ASSAULTS DECRIED
As many as 315 teachers of the university in a statement condemned Saturday's police attack inside the Institute of Fine Arts and Sunday's mauling of the agitating students by the JCD.

They also condemned Tuesday's bomb blast and the subsequent violence by the ruling BNP's student wing that left over 50 students wounded.

The university authorities have completely failed to bring the situation under control due to their "biased attitude," the teachers noted and called for ensuring security for all.

Signatories to the statement include Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Prof RIA Aminur Rashid, Prof Tofail Ahmed Chowdhury, Prof Mizanur Rahman, Prof Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman and Prof AK Azad Chowdhury.