BCL rival factions rise in SUST

BCL rival factions rise in SUSTDespite a ban on political activities, two rival factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, yesterday flexed their muscles at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet.
Officer in-Charge of Jalalabad police station Akhter Hossain said This has created tension at the campus leading to deployment of extra law enforcers,
Witnesses said the faction, led by BCL committee President Sanjiban Chakrabarty Partha, entered the campus at around 3pm with 30-40 men and staged a demonstration. General Secretary of the committee Imran Khan and BCL leader Sajedul Islam Sabuj were present at the time.
Hearing about the demonstration, the rival group of committee Vice-president Anjan Roy and BCL leader Uttam Kumar, came to the campus with 20-25 people. They also brought out several processions.
BCL leader Nur-e-Alam said they came to the campus to peacefully demand their place in the university residential halls.
Meanwhile, Anjan Roy said any attempt to take over the halls by outsiders would be resisted with the support of general students.
One of the groups took position at the campus while the other one was in front of the Shah Paran Hall.
Emdadul Haq, acting proctor of the university, told the Dhaka Tribune that the BCL groups were asked to leave the campus.
‘Both the groups tried to take over the residential halls. But we cannot let them do so until they can ensure a peaceful cohabitation. There is still a ban on any kind of political activities in the university.’
He further said the decision about their hall allocation would be taken when VC Professor Aminul Haq returned home from his India trip.
The proctor was still holding a meeting with the two factions when this report was filed at 7:30pm.
On November 20 of the last year, a BCL man named Sumon Das died during a clash between the two factions over establishing supremacy in the university. The university was closed for 58 days following the incident. And a meeting of the syndicate imposed an indefinite ban on political activities on January 10 this year.