The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Students of Govt Bigyan College clashed with police during violent protests after three of them were knocked down from a running bus amid haggling about fare at Tejgaon in the city yesterday afternoon, leaving 15 people injured.

Police and witnesses said three students of the college - Hridom, Onik and another one-locked in an altercation with the conductor and the helper of Bikalpa Paribahan, a city commuter bus, as the students wanted to pay half-fare. They were on their way to college to attend college test.

At one stage of the altercation, the bus helper and the conductor pushed them down from the speedy bus at about 9am. Injured severely, the students were rushed to a local clinic from where Hridom was shifted to Pangu (orthopedic) Hospital in critical condition.

The test exam over, the college students got angry hearing about the incidents stormed out into street with sticks and rods. They vandalized three buses of Bikalpa Paribahan at Farmgate at about 2:30pm amid the street rioting that turned city's busiest road into a veritable battlefield.

During the vandalism, vehicular movement on the adjacent road was disrupted for an hour. "People passing through the area were seen moving desperately here and there for safe and secure shelter," says a spot account of the melee.

On information, police came to the spot and chased the agitating students into the college campus. They also charged baton on the protestors inside the campus, ignoring repeated requests made by the teachers. The cop action provoked students once again into a clash, the sources said.

The angry students responded to the police 'aggression' by pelting

them with brickbats and stones

During the clash, which lasted for another hour, at least 12 more students and a police man were injured.

Injured students were rushed to different clinics from where they received first aid.

Police reinforcements were deployed on the college premises, who later took the situation under control.