The University of Chittagong on Monday suspended all examinations until September 4 in the aftermath of violent clashes between university students and villagers of Jobra.
The two rounds of clashes from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon over alleged assaults on a female student left hundreds injured. At least 13 students still remained hospitalised in Chattogram with two on life support at a private hospital.
A notice signed by acting controller of examinations professor Momtaz Uddin Ahmed said that examinations would remain suspended until September 4 and that new dates would be announced later.
Examinations scheduled for August 31 and September 1 had already been postponed. Classes and exams were also closed on Monday, though recruitment tests and routine administrative activities continued at the university offices. A decision on resuming classes would be announced later.
The campus, however, remained eerily silent, with most students confined to the residential halls amid heightened security.
The local authorities that imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure restricting public gathering across the adjoining Fatehpur union from Sunday afternoon until midnight Monday extended the restrictions until Tuesday midnight.
Hathazari police officer-in-charge Abu Kawsar Mohammad Hossain said that no case was filed over the clashes as of 8:00pm on Monday, but added that the situation was normal and that joint forces were deployed across the campus and surrounding areas.
Students complained of insecurity and said many had moved from rented flats near Gate No 2 to the university halls for safety. The Gate No 2 is in the vicinity of the village Jobra.
The CU authorities said that the halls would remain open to accommodate those students, that treatment costs of the injured would be borne by the university, and that efforts would be taken to recover weapons used during the violence.
According to the Chattogram Civil Surgeon鈥檚 office, 144 people have so far received treatment at different hospitals. Of them, 77 were treated at the Chattogram Medical College Hospital, 43 at Parkview Hospital and 24 at National Hospital. Thirteen CU students remained under treatment as of Monday. Of them 11 at the CMCH and two on life support at Parkview Hospital.
The patients on life support were identified as Imtiaz Sayem, 24, and Abdullah Al Mamun, 23, and doctors described their conditions as critical.
At noon on Monday, the university constituted a 21-member probe committee, headed by pro vice-chancellor (administration) professor Dr Kamal Uddin, with syndicate members and student representatives, including BNP chairperson鈥檚 adviser SM Fazlul Haque.
Later in the evening, an emergency meeting was held at the vice-chancellor鈥檚 conference room, with the VC, two pro-VCs, all deans and syndicate members attending.
At a press briefing after the meeting, pro vice-chancellor (administration) professor Dr Md Kamal Uddin said the university administration had made some decisions in response to the clashes.
He said that the university would bear all medical expenses of the injured students, file cases against those involved in the violence and request the government to set up a model police station near the campus along with a police box at the railway crossing.
He added that an emergency syndicate meeting had been called for today.
Meanwhile, locals said that although some shops reopened near Gate No 2, the situation remained tense and movement was still limited.
Many male residents stayed away from homes fearing arrest during joint force operations, while the army and Rapid Action Battalion members continued patrolling the campus and its surrounding areas amid Section 144 restrictions.
The Jobra Samaj Sangskar O Unnayan Parishad, a local platform, submitted a seven-point demand to the administration, accusing CU students of repeated unrests.
Its demands included lifelong expulsion of instigators from the university and compensation for victims.
Protests continued on campus on Monday as students of the female Hall marched to the administrative building demanding justice for the attacks, while students with disabilities also staged a procession from Zero Point to Shaheed Minar.
The demonstrations, led by Ganatantrik Chhatra Jote organiser Sumaiya Sikder, condemned the CU administration for its failure and demanded swift punishment of the perpetrators.
In the evening, students under the banner of Conscious Students held a rally at Shaheed Minar, raising five demands, including the resignation of the vice-chancellor and proctorial body within 24 hours and filing of cases and trials of local attackers.