Violent Clashes Erupt at JnU as Chhatra Dal and Shibir Fight for Campus Dominance
In a Nutshell:
- There has been a clash today at 11:30 AM between the leaders and the political activists of Jatiyotabadi Chhatradal, Bangladesh Islami Chatra Shibir and Jatiyo Chhatra Shakti on the premises of Jagannath University.
- The clash took place when the representatives of JnUCSU and members of the Inquilab Maancha arrived with placards making demands regarding the JnU’s second campus at Keraniganj regarding dormitories and healthcare facilities.
- Vice-President of DUCSU, Abu Sadik Kayem, has taken to Facebook urging an end to the Chhatra Dal’s display of dominance on campus premises.
- Abul Alim Arif, the JnUCSU General Secretary and Shibir leader, was subjected to violence and was forced to leave the campus, and the outcome of the clash has caused 50 people to become injured.
- A representative of Chhatra Dal has claimed to have banned Shibir from entering the campus premises, and claimed the organisation shall be responsible for the regulations on campus, and is now protesting in front of the campus.
- There has been another protest march conducted by BNP leaders and activists in front of Dhaka College. Another clash took place in front of Govt. Madrasah-E-Alia between Chhatra Dal and Shibir, where there have been noises of explosives.
- The members of Bangladesh Chhatra Dal are now attacking injured Shibir patients in the Bangladesh National Medical Institute Hospital
Why it matters
Students at Jagannath University (JnU) are demanding that the military take over the construction of their second campus after six years of severe delays and structural errors in the project's proposal. Originally slated for completion in 2020, the 2018 master plan has been stalled by administrative turnovers, land acquisition disputes, and tender irregularities, leaving students burdened by the financial strain of off-campus housing and a lack of proper medical facilities. Unfortunately, what began as a legitimate movement advocating for fundamental educational infrastructure has recently escalated into intense political unrest. Capitalising on the situation, Bangladesh Chhatra Dal activists have sparked widespread protests across Dhaka demanding a ban on Shibir activities on campus, effectively transforming a fight for basic student rights into a volatile clash aimed at expelling rival political entities from the university premises.
What we think
For over fifteen years under the Bangladesh Awami League, university campuses were routinely weaponised, with dominant student factions using force to suppress dissent and dominate campus life—a toxic culture that the 2024 movement fought desperately to dismantle. This troubling revival of campus intimidation raises an urgent, uncomfortable question: Is the party in power bringing back the old system of dehumanising political opponents? Are Chatradal now looking at all universities as Student Unions are near the end of their terms?
