Attack on KMC principal's house sparks protest

2 September 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Khulna

Criminals attacked the official residence of Khulna Medical College (KMC) Principal KP Sarker on Tuesday night. As they threw stones for several minutes at around 10:30pm, windowpanes and electric bulbs of the house were badly damaged. The attackers also hurled abuses at the principal, asking him to leave KMC to avoid further attacks. Informed by the security guards of his residence, police rushed there but the attackers had left the scene by the time. KMC Secretary Md Wahiduzzaman filed a general diary yesterday morning in connection with attack on principal's residence. In protest against the attack, teachers and students of the college and interns of the hospital brought out a procession at 11:30am yesterday. The demanded immediate arrest of the attackers and removal of Dr Tozammel Hossain Joarder, a medical officer of Khulna Medical College Hospital, for his alleged assault on Principal KP Sarker on Monday. Tozammel is also vice president of Khulna district unit of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad, an organisation backed by the ruling Awami League. Demanding removal and punishment of Dr Tozammel and his accomplices, students of the medical college on Tuesday began their indefinite class boycott and interns of the hospital started work stoppage from 9:00am to 11:00am everyday. Members of the KMC Teachers Association yesterday decided to observe two-hour work stoppage daily in support of the programmes of interns and students. Contacted after the attack on his residence, Principal KP Sarker said, “I will not allow anyone to vitiate academic atmosphere of the medical college. Medical Officer Dr Tozammel is indulged in corruption and vandalism under political cover.” When contacted, Dr Tozammel denied the allegation of attacking the principal on Monday and said, “KP Sarker is trying to fan a simple matter of altercation to make it a political issue.” Police have been deployed on the college and hospital compound to stave off unwanted situation.