Activists of the banned Chhatra League (BCL) have allegedly locked the main gates of several educational institutions in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, and put up posters bearing the word “strike”.
Protest marches and incidents of tyre burning were also reported in different parts of the upazila.
The institutions include Fatikchhari Government College, Fatikchhari Coronation Government Model High School, Fatikchhari Pilot Girls’ High School and Daulatpur Syed-Syeda Memorial High School.
The incidents occurred between late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. Videos showing the gates being locked and protest marches later circulated widely on Facebook.
According to the college security guard and videos shared on social media, a banner was hung at the main gate of Fatikchhari Government College around midnight on Monday. A chain was then wrapped around the gate and secured with a padlock.
The gates of several other educational institutions in the upazila were locked in a similar manner. Posters bearing the word “strike” were also placed on the gates.
Meanwhile, BCL activists brought out a protest march at the Lelung Charaliahat intersection on the Gahira-Fatikchhari road early Tuesday. According to locals, the procession was led by Safraz Khan Miraj, assistant secretary of Fatikchhari upazila unit of BCL.
In a separate incident, tyres were set on fire on the Bhujpur-Kazirhat road under the leadership of Chhatra League activist Azgar Parvez. Another protest march was reportedly held in the Amtali area of Paindong Union, led by Chhatra League activist Minhaj.
A video lasting nearly one minute and circulated on Facebook shows a helmet-wearing man wrapping a chain around the main gate of an educational institution and securing it with a padlock. Local residents identified the man as Chhatra League activist Murad Mahmud.
KA Saimun, president of Fatikchhari Government College unit of Chhatra Dal, said, “The administration cannot evade responsibility for this,” he said.
Fatikchhari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Robiul Alam Khan said, “I am not aware of the incident. If they want to enforce a blockade, let them come out onto the roads. Why should they lock educational institutions? We are trying to identify those involved in the incident, and operations against them are continuing.”
