BCL runs amok at JU over bucks

At least three Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men were injured and three journalists were assaulted during a factional clash at Jahangirnagar University yesterday, allegedly over sharing the money one group obtained out of a bidding process.

BCL insiders said two expelled BCL leaders, Abdur Rahim Jewel and Sanowar Hossain, helped a wood trader of Savar win a Tk 1.45 lakh contract yesterday for removing the trees destroyed by storms on the campus, but actually the two used the trader's name to get the work for themselves.

Both Rahim and Sanwar reside in Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall.

Around 2:00pm yesterday, Jewel Rana, a BCL leader of AFM Kamal Uddin Hall, had a quarrel with the two for asking a share of the money in front of the university's central library, the BCL insiders said, adding that initially, there was a small scuffle but later Rahim and Sanwar led around a hundred followers to Kamal Uddin hall and attacked Jewel Rana's men.

Rana's followers retaliated, and both groups carried iron pipes, rods, sticks, machetes and cleavers during the clash, which went on for about an hour in front of Kamal Uddin hall, until senior BCL leaders and the proctorial team calmed them down, said witnesses.

Abdur Rahim, Jewel Rana, and a follower of Rana were injured.

Meanwhile, three journalists, of The Independent, bdnews24.com, and greennewsbd.com, were assaulted by the followers of Rahim when they were covering the clash. The faction also tried to beat up an assistant proctor but 

some teachers rescued him, said witnesses.

Journalists of JU said the attack was tied to an incident that occurred earlier in the day -- some correspondents caught a BCL man of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall making out with his girlfriend in a toilet of Zahir Raihan Auditorium around 12:00noon. They were angry for that, they added.

JU BCL President Mahmudur Rahman Jony said they would take action if any activist of the organisation was involved in the bidding process.

Neither Rahim nor Rana was available for comments.