BCL seize 19 dorms in Rajshahi city after Dec 29 polls

18 January 2009, 18:00 PM

RU Correspondent

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists have taken control of around 19 dormitories in different educational institutions in Rajshahi city after Awami League-led grand alliance won in the December 29 parliament election. Following the BCL activists occupation of a number of rooms at dormitories in different educational institutions in Rajshahi, general students have started looking for rented houses and private students' hostels outside the campus. On January 3, BCL RU unit activists first took control of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman hall on the Rajshahi University campus and forced JCD activists out of the hall. On January 5, BCL activists forcibly occupied rooms of Islamic Chhatra Shibir men at Bangabandhu Hall, Nawab Abdul Latif Hall and Shaheed Zoha Hall on the campus. Later, BCL activists occupied a number of rooms at Nawab Abdul Laif Hall, Shah Mukdum Hall, Sayed Amir Ali Hall, Mother Bux Hall, Suhrawardy Hall, Sher-e-Bangla Hall and Habibur Rahman Hall at RU after beating up and expelling activists of JCD and Shibir and some outsiders sheltered by the latter. On January 9, BCL activists drove away Shibir and JCD activists from all the residential halls of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) and ransacked their rooms. On the same night, BCL drove away Shibir activists and took control of Shaheed Shah Mainul Ahsan Pinku and Shaheed Kazi Nurunnabi hostels of Rajshahi Medical College. BCL Rajshahi College unit on January 12 drove away JCD activists from Muslim Hostel and occupied different rooms of the hostel. BCL activists also occupied Shaheed Monayem Hostel of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute and drove away JCD and Shibir activists from the hostel. Condemning the acts of hall occupation, many teachers of RU have urged the BCL men to cooperate with the university authorities for establishing a smooth educational atmosphere on the campus. Principals of several colleges in the city also urged BCL men to refrain from unlawful activities.