CU BCL activities in trains banned
An overcrowded shuttle train of Chittagong University. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das
The Chittagong University (CU) authorities have banned all group-based activities of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in all shuttle trains to avoid clashes occurred for establishing supremacy over the bogies. The campus sources said there are around 20 boggy-based groups led by BCL men with different names such as Choose Friends with Care (CFC), Varsity X-press (VX) Cockpit, Ulka, Always, Fatafati, 69, Fire, Khaitta Kha, Blackhole, and Orion. The CU authorities at an emergency syndicate meeting on May 1 suspended classes and examinations for 11days and banned the boggy-based activities following clashes among the BCL factions on April 29 and 30. On May 8, the CU authorities decided to erase all names of boggy-based groups from the compartments. CU acting proctor Akter Hossain said additional police will be deployed in each compartment to stop the grouping. The university authorities launched the train service for students in cooperation with Bangladesh Railway in 1980. Seven trains shuttle between the university and the port city everyday to carry the students. But the control of every compartment of shuttle trains has gone to the hands CU unit BCL men as they established boggy-based politics. As a result, many sub-groups among CU BCL men emerged. Scuffles and altercations over trifling matters in the trains have become almost every day's common scenario. The journey by the trains has become unsafe for students due to frequent clashes of BCL men. Salah Uddin, a student of CU Communication and Journalism department, said due to the clashes, he avoids shuttle trains and goes to the campus by 'Tari' (human hauler). CU acting VC Prof Alauddin said necessary measures have been taken to avoid further clashes. Campus sources said five incidents of attack and counter attack took place in the last three months that left at least 21 people injured. At least 25 incidents of clashes took place injuring about 60 activists of BCL in last two and a half years.
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