Four colleges suffer Tk100cr losses, 2300 students’ exam uncertain

Four colleges — Dhaka National Medical College and Hospital, Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College and Kabi Nazrul Government College and Dr Mahbubur Rahman Molla College (DMRMC) — in the capital are reopening Sunday (December 1) next after being closed for a week due to clashes, vandalism and looting by students.

However, the authorities are still uncertain about the reopening of Molla College (DMRMC) at Matuail in Jatrabari, which was the victim of extensive destruction. The other three colleges are located side by side in Old.

Abhijit Howlader, a student of Molla College, died on November 18 while undergoing treatment at the National Medical College and Hospital suffering from dengue. As a result, the four colleges were attacked, vandalised, and looted on November 24-25. Students from at least 35 colleges, including seven colleges affiliated to Dhaka University, were involved in the clashes between students. In addition to injuring at least 200 students and ordinary people, property worth at least Tk 100 crore was damaged in the four colleges. All classes, examinations, and administrative activities of the colleges have been closed since November 25. Medical services at the National Medical are also being disrupted.

Meanwhile, about 2,300 candidates of Kabi Nazrul College are also facing uncertainty regarding the ongoing first-year undergraduate examinations of seven colleges affiliated to Dhaka University. On November 24, the attackers snatched away, destroyed and tore up all their examination books and documents, resulting in the cancellation of the examination.

Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College staff Ashraful Islam said the attack took place within an hour of the starting of the exam at 12:30 pm. A sick student came to take the exam in an ambulance, which was also vandalised. The students in the college auditorium building left the exam in fear. Many of them were also injured.

Suhrawardy College Teachers' Association General Secretary Professor Md Motaleb Hossain said, “One of the exams of the 2,300 first-year students of Kabi Nazrul College who came to sit for the exam at our center was ruined, which has become a headache for us.”

Considering the overall situation, the examination scheduled for Thursday (November 28) has also been postponed. The professor also warned that it will be difficult to organise these two examinations in the current situation.

Suhrawardy College Principal Dr Kakoli Mukherjee said, “The Education Ministry will make a decision on the ongoing examination of first-year undergraduate students of seven colleges. I am contacting the ministry to confirm that.”

Molla College filed a case with Jatrabari Police Station on November 25 and Dhaka National Medical College and Hospital with Sutrapur Police Station on November 26 over the clash. Suhrawardy College also filed a case with Sutrapur Police Station on Thursday in addition to the General Diary (GD).

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Jatrabari Police Station Faruk Ahmed said that Molla College has named eight to nine thousand unidentified individuals as accused in their case and alleged a loss of Tk 50 crore.

“No one has been arrested so far. However, after technical and other investigations, all those involved will be brought to justice,” he said.

Dr Mahbubur Rahman Molla College Managing Director Ashraf Sami claimed, "Students of Suhrawardy and National Medical College have looted our important documents, assets and personal belongings of students with the help of the banned organization Chhatra League. They have caused extensive damage to the college building and vandalised several rooms including the principal's office.”

"We will have to face great difficulties to reopen our college which has become a pile of rubble. They have even taken away all our computers. There is no way to issue notices online. For now, the college can reopen on Sunday after checking how much renovation has been done till Saturday (November 30). It will be in a limited scale," he added.

On the other hand, the National Medical College and Hospital in the case it filed has accused the students of Molla College and the forum of 35 colleges in Dhaka.

The college has suffered a loss of Tk 10 crore, claimed the hospital's assistant director Shafiqul Islam. He said, "Many poor patients come to the hospital for medical services. Keeping them in mind, we are continuing our services, but due to the current situation, our services are being hampered.”

He also said that classes will resume at the college on Sunday.

Sutrapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Islam also did not report any arrest in the case.

Professor Md Motaleb Hossain, General Secretary of the Suhrawardy College Teachers' Association, said, "The incident happened at National Medical and we were attacked. The attackers caused damage of about Tk 350 million taka to all our departments."

Professor Motaleb said that their college will also be opened on Sunday.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources said that there is an alliance of students from DU-affiliated Dhaka College, Eden College, Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Government College, Government Titumir College, Begum Badrunnesa College, Mirpur Bangla College and Government Kabi Nazrul College. Apart from these seven colleges, the name of the forum of students from 35 other colleges in Dhaka is United College of Bangladesh (UCB). Tension has been rising between the forum of 35 colleges and the alliance of seven colleges for the past few days over the death of Abhijit Howlader.

Sutrapur Police Station OC Saiful Islam said, "We have seen that the UCB group has brought together students to attack the National Medical by announcing 'Super Sunday' programme. Later, they attacked Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul College. When we tried to stop them, they clashed with us. Two police constables were also injured."

"Some outside students have also been brought here in civilian clothes with ID cards. We are trying to identify these outsiders," said the OC.

Nafis Molla, a managing board member of the UCB founder panel, could not be reached by phone.

However, in a statement issued on November 25, the forum denied the allegations and questioned the silence of the health adviser, the irresponsibility of the home adviser, and the inaction of the law enforcement agencies, the army and intelligence agencies.

Jatrabari Police Station OC Faruk Ahmed said, "After the death of Abhijit Howlader, the National Medical authorities formed an investigation committee with two students of Molla College and expert doctors. Three ICU doctors have also been suspended for the sake of investigation. Even then, we are trying to understand why this attack happened."

"The two police stations are investigating the clashes that took place in their respective areas. Once the investigation is completed, they will share the necessary information and move forward together," he confirmed.