Dhaka – Madrasah students went on a rampage throughout the district town on Tuesday, protesting the death of a fellow student in a clash on the day before.
They vandalised 12 establishments, set fire to two others and blocked the rail tracks during their daylong restive demonstrations.
Witnesses said several hundred students from different madrasahs in the town blocked the rail tracks near Brahmanbaria Railway Station around 9am.Train communications of Dhaka with Sylhet and Chittagong remained halted for nearly nine hours due to the blockade.
The students were locked in sporadic clashes with police on heightened security in the town, which has previous records of violence involving the students of local madrasahs.
The angry students ransacked 12 establishments, including control room and other offices of Brahmanbaria Railway Station, district Awami League office, Shilpakala Academy and Sadar hospital, and torched Ostad Alauddin Khan Music Centre and Proshika office during their demonstrations till 4:30 pm.
They also swooped on Sadar Model Police Station around 4:30pm and vandalised two vehicles there.
Four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh were deployed in the town to contain any further violence following Monday’s clash.
In another development, assistant police super Taposh Chandra Ghosh and officer-in-charge of Sadar Model Police Station Akul Chandra Biswas were withdrawn centring on the violence.
They were asked to report to the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Chittagong range, police said.
Police on Tuesday formed a three-member committee to look into the incident. The probe panel has been asked to submit its report within three working days.
Marasah student Masudur Rahman, who was injured in the clash with businessmen and BCL on Monday, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital early Tuesday.
At least 20 people, including Masudur, were injured in a triangular clash among the madrasah students, local traders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League over a trifling matter at Zilla Parishad Market in TT Road area on Monday evening.
Witnesses said Monday’s clash between local madrasah students and traders broke out following an altercation over buying a mobile phone set. Later, BCL activists reportedly joined the clash.- Agencies
