Two factions of Jahangirnagar University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student body of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, clashed over a recently announced hall committees on the campus at Savar in Dhaka on Sunday.
The clash left the atmosphere tense before the Jahangirnagar University Central Students鈥� Union elections scheduled for September 11.
The incident occurred around 12:30pm near the Cafeteria area, when central JCD leaders, including general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir and senior vice-president Abu Afsan Mohammad Yahia, arrived to meet with the JU unit convener Jahir Uddin Babor and member secretary Wasim Ahmed.
Witnesses said that a group of more than 50 activists later entered the campus on motorcycles, chanting slogans accusing the JU unit leadership of bringing in outsiders.
The group attempted to meet the central leaders inside the Cafeteria鈥檚 Teachers鈥� Lounge, but supporters of Babor and Wasim blocked the entrance.
Heated arguments quickly escalated into shoving and scuffle between the rival factions.
Proctorial staff went to the spot and dispersed the groups and restored the situation calm after several hours.
Dissident activists were later able to meet with the central leaders, while the JU unit鈥檚 top leaders and their followers left the lounge.
The unrest follows the August 8 announcement of an expanded JU JCD committee and 17 hall committees.
The new line-up has been strongly contested with dissident activists, alleging that members of rival student groups, including Chhatra League, Chhatra Shibir and even local miscreants, were included.
In protest, the faction had been staging demonstrations on campus in recent days, while senior JU JCD leaders reportedly avoided the campus.
Convener Jahir Uddin Babor rejected the allegations, claiming that expelled activists and a vested group were behind the chaos.
鈥楾here may have some inconsistencies in the committee, but we are working to resolve them. Certain groups are exploiting the situation to create disorder,鈥� he said.
JU proctor AKM Rashidul Alam said that the proctorial team intervened and restored order. 鈥楨veryone has been urged to maintain peace.鈥�
