The New Nation - Internet Edition

RU Correspondent

All academic activities of Rajshahi Medical College have been suspended for an indefinite period in the wake of a clash between the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra league (BCL) and Islami Chhatra Shibir ( ICS) that took place on Tuesday midnight.

The students of the college were asked to vacate their hostels by 4:pm yesterday. The clash left at least 12 students injured.Of them, 10 were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Those admitted to the hospital are BCL RMC unit activists Taniqur Rahman, Sajib Uddin, Anup Sarker, Zaman Sakib, Rakibuzzman, Partho Shekor, Sumon Pramanik, Akramul Haque Protim, Abdur Rashid and Abdul Al Mamun. The decision to vacate the hostels was taken at an emergency meeting of the Academic Council (AC) of the college yesterday morning with RMC Principal Prof Fazlur Rahman in the chair .

Campus sources said the clash erupted at Shaheed Shah Mainul Ahsan Pinku Hostel at midnight when the Shibir activists led by college unit President Abu Talha and Secretary Anwar Hossain tried to capture a seat belonging to an outgoing BCL activist.

During the half an hour clash several rooms of the hostel belonging to BCL activists were allegedly ransacked by Shibir cadres. Armed with iron rods and hockey sticks the Shibir cadres launched a hunt for the BCL activists locking the collapsible gate of the hostel, the sources said.

On information, police rushed to the hostel and brought the situation under control.

Later, hostel super Dr Monwarul Islam and assistant hostel super Dr Sirajul Islam accompanied by police went to the hostel and searched several rooms of the hostel to trace out the attackers.

BCL RMC unit President Dewan Mehedi Hassan Tomal complained to the reporters that hall super Dr Monwarul Islam and police only searched the BCL controlled rooms and not Shibir rooms as Shibir gathered a large number of outsiders and arms in their rooms.

Tomal demanded immediate removal of the hostel super for what he said patronising Shibir cadres.

BCL leaders alleged that the policemen were silent spectators when the Shibir cadres attacked the hostel for the second time.

About two hundred BCL leaders and activists met the college principal at his office in the morning yesterday and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate exemplary punishment of the guilty Shibir cadres.

We will launch a tougher movement against the college authorities if the Shibir cadres were not punished,A bcl leader warned.

ICS RMC unit President Abu Talha denied the allegation of attack on BCL activists and claimed that BCL men first attack the Shibir activists.

Rajshahi Medical College Principal Prof Fazlul Rahman said that a three- member probe committee headed by Prof Dr Towhidul Alam has been formed to investigate the incident.

Meanwhile, a large number of police have been deployed on the college campus to ward off further trouble.