12 injured in clash between two student groups at JnU

At least 12 people, including several teachers, were injured in a clash between students of the Marketing and Political Science departments at Jagannath University (JnU) today.

The clash reportedly broke out over an argument about talking loudly on a university bus. It happened in three phases today in front of the university's second gate, at the central Shaheed Minar premises, and near the office of the chairman of the Islamic Studies department.

Those injured include Marketing department students Samiuddin Sajid, Al-Amin, Ashraful, Protyay, Ibrahim, Jony, and Jahid; Political Science student Sadi; and Bangla department student Sabbir.

Witnesses said yesterday, Sajid, a 19th-batch Marketing student, and his friends were talking on an As-Sunnah transport bus when Political Science student Sadi asked them not to speak loudly and allegedly threatened Sajid, saying he would "hang him at the second gate".

Today, Sadi, along with fellow students Mashfiq, Ashraful, and Arafat, approached Sajid and his friends near the second gate. Moments later, they allegedly attacked Sajid. When Sajid's friends Al-Amin, Ibrahim, Jahid, and others tried to intervene, they too were assaulted.

The clash spread across the campus, leading to two more rounds of violence. Witnesses said that during the second phase near Shanto Chattar, attackers hit Al-Amin in the face with a chair.

Later, a meeting was arranged at the office of Prof Md Rais Uddin, chairman of the Islamic Studies department, to mediate between the two sides. However, as Political Science student Sadi was being brought to the meeting, a third round of fighting broke out. Several teachers, including assistant proctors Md Naim Akhter Siddique, Ferdous Hossain, and Md Mahathy Hasan Jewel, were injured while trying to intervene.

Injured student Sajid told The Daily Star, "Sadi threatened me on the bus. Today, he came back with 15–20 others and attacked us. They even looked for me in the dormitory yesterday."

Another injured student, Al-Amin, said, "They hit my face with a chair so hard that my face is swollen, and the chair broke."

JnU Chhatra Dal joint convener Suman Sardar claimed, "This was just a misunderstanding between students of two departments over a bus incident. No political issue is involved."

"We were present at the scene and tried to calm both sides. Later, we sat with teachers to reach a compromise," said JnU Chhatra Dal convener Mehedi Hasan Himel.

Proctor Prof Tazammol Hoque told The Daily Star, "Initially, it was a clash between two departments, but later it spread to other groups. A probe committee is being formed, and appropriate action will be taken after investigation."