RU closed for indefinite period

Rajshahi University was closed for an indefinite period following a clash between the students of the institution and businessmen of Binodpur Bazar that left 60 people injured Tuesday night.
The authorities concerned also decided to suspend all the classes and examinations for an indefinite period and asked the students to vacant their halls of residence by 12:00 noon on Wednesday. The students had left their dormitories within the deadline.
The syndicate at an emergency meeting Wednesday morning took the decision. Acting vice-chancellor ProfessorMamnunul Kerammat chaired the meeting.
‘We have decided to suspend all the classes and examinations to avoid untoward incident and ensure the security of the students,’ said Dr Shafi, member-secretary of the syndicate.
Campus sources said the clash erupted when the students vandalised the ticket counter of Hanif Paribahan at Binodpur.
The students attacked the counter after the supervisor had forced a third year student of management department to get down from the bus in Natore following an altercation over the arrangement of a seat.
On his return, the management student Humayun Kabir went to the ticket counter and asked its manager to refund him the price of the ticket.
As the manager refused to refund, Humayun informed his fellow students of the matter. Later businessmen, transport workers and local people attacked the students when they went to the ticket counter.
The businessmen of Binodpur Bazar along with local people also entered the campus and attacked the students. They ransacked the windows and doors of SM Hall and Medical Centre of the university.
The university authorities did not take any step to bring the situation under control, some students alleged.
The police reached the spot at 1:00am and fired 20 rounds of rubber bullet and teargas shells to disperse the angry people.
Riot police, members of Rapid Action Battalion and Bangladesh Rifles were deployed on the campus and its adjacent areas to fend off further trouble.
Rajshahi Metropolitan Police deputy commissioners Sajjadur Rahman and Mahbubur Rahman visited the spot early Wednesday.
Rajshahi City Corporation mayor-elect AHM Khairuzzaman Liton also visited the area Wednesday morning. During the visit, the businessmen placed 4-point demand, including resignation of proctor Enamul Haque, and compensation of Tk 50 lakh for damaging shops by the students.
Liton said that a group of criminals created such violence on the campus. He demanded immediate appointment of a vice-chancellor and resignation of the proctor, saying that the clash erupted due to failure of the proctor and acting vice-chancellor.