22 injured as hill students, police clash in Khagrachari

The police roll away a pole from a street at Khagrachari as it was put to block the road by national minority students after their procession had been foiled on Sunday. — Focusbangla photo

At least 22 people were injured when police swooped on a demonstration of hill students in Khagrachari town on Sunday, local sources said.

The hill students were demonstrating against imposition of Bengali nationality on them and demanding withdrawal of foreign minister Dipu Moni’s ‘discriminatory and disrespectful’ remarks in this regard.
The police action triggered sporadic clashes around Khagrachari College campus and prompted road blockade by students for five hours.

Eight organisations of hill students — Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Marma Students’ Council, Tripura Students Forum, Tanchangya Chhatra Kalyan Sangstha, Khyeang Students’ Council, Chak Students’ Council, Bawm Student Council and Khumi Students Council — had called the demonstration.

Witnesses said police intercepted as the students brought out a procession from Khagrachari College campus.

Police again barred the procession at Chengi Square, prompting a clash when police charged batons on the protesters.

Later the students went back to the college and put blockade on the road with logs triggering a tense situation in the town.

Later, additional police and army personnel were deployed in the area.

Assistant police superintendent Al Masud Mahfuzul Islam said the situation was under control.

-----------------courtesy: New Age--------------------------------------------------------------------


Photo: Prothom Alo

Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo news link: http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2011-08-08/news/176510


Photo: Focus Bangla

Bengali newspaper Focus Bangla news link: http://www.focusbangla.com.bd/news.php?nid=4221

Following is the news from The Daily Star:

Protests in CHT

15 hurt in student-cop clash

At least 15 people including eight policemen were injured yesterday in a clash between police and indigenous students over bringing out a protest procession in Khagrachhari district town.

Witnesses said the students of Khagrachhari Govt College under the banner of eight indigenous students' forums brought out a procession from the college gate at about 11:00pm, demanding constitutional recognition of the indigenous people of Chittagong Hill Tracts.

To foil the protest rally, police swooped on the demonstrators indiscriminately charging clubs that injured seven students, said Mayon Tripura, a member of Tripura Students Forum.

Mayon also protested the police action terming it undemocratic.

The injured are Tithi Tripura, Amarun Tripura, Suman Chakma, Dipan Chakma, Gourinanda Tripura, Ripan Tripura and Ulapru Marma.

Contacted, Abu Kalam Siddique, superintendent of police of Khagrachhari, said the students brought out the procession without taking any permission from the local administration.

As police tried to bar the students from staging demonstration, they hurled brick chips at the law enforcers leaving eight policemen injured, he said.

To bring the situation under control, police charged truncheons on the agitators, the SP said. “The situation is under control now,” he added.

The injured policemen were given primary treatment at Khagrachhari Adhunik Sadar Hospital.

Bipul Chakma, organising secretary of Pahari Chhatra Parishad, in a press release condemned the attack and demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, different student organisations of indigenous communities yesterday brought out processions in the hill town of Rangamati, protesting the foreign minister's recent statement on the issue of indigenous people.

------------------- courtesy: The Daily Star---------------------------------------------