Dhaka – Madrasah students on Tuesday blocked rail tracks in the town, halting train communication of Brahmanbaria – about 100 kilometres east of Dhaka – with rest of the country after a fellow student who was wounded during a clash a day ago died.
The students also vandalised the control room and some other properties of Brahmanbaria railway station as tension was running high.
On the day before, at least 20 people, including Masudur, were injured in a triangular clash between madrasah students, local businessmen and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League over a trifling matter at the Zila Parishad Market in TT Road area on Monday evening.Witnesses said Monday’s clash ensued between local madrasah students and businessmen following an altercation over the buying of a mobile phone set and later BCL activists took part in the clash and chased the madrasah students away.
Rail communications with Sylhet and Chittagong were affected as the students continued to demonstrate, officials said.
The students also clashed with police on Tuesday afternoon despite heightened security in the town, which has previous records of violence involving the students of local madrasahs.
On Tuesday, authorities deployed dozens of border guards in the town for fear of violence after the student died.
Assistant Superintendent of Police, Taposh Ranjan Ghosh, said four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the municipality area to contain any further violence following Monday’s clash.
Police said Masudur Rahman, son of Mawlana Ilias, a resident of Vadugar in Brahamanbaria municipality, succumbed to his injuries in a local hospital on Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, authorities of Jamia Yunusia Madrasah on Tuesday called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Wednesday protesting the death of Masudur.
Principal of the madrasah, Mobarakullah, made the announcement on Tuesday morning.- Agencies
