City University authorities on Monday declared the institution closed for four days following overnight violent clashes with students of Daffodil International University (DIU) in Savar over a trivial matter.
The university suspended all classes, examinations and academic activities until 30 October to prevent further unrest.
At least 100 students from both institutions were injured in the violence that erupted on Sunday night and continued until early Monday.
City University Vice-Chancellor Lutfur Rahman said the decision was made “to avoid any untoward incident.”
“Regular classes will resume after the break. By that time, the situation is expected to calm down,” he told reporters.
Soon after the announcement, students began leaving the campus.
Roads blocked for nine hours
Traffic on the Mirpur–Birulia and Ashulia–Birulia roads was suspended for about nine hours, from 6:00am to 3:00pm on Monday, as students from both universities demonstrated in front of their respective campuses, demanding justice.
Savar Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Abdul Wahab said the clashes began around 9:00pm on Sunday in the Khagan area of Birulia union and continued until Monday morning.
Savar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jewel Mia later confirmed that the situation was “now under control.”
How the clash began
Witnesses said the violence was triggered by a minor altercation around 7:00pm on Sunday when a DIU student was passing in front of the Bachelor Paradise Building in Khagan, which houses City University students.
A City University student allegedly spat from the building, and it accidentally landed on the DIU student.
An argument followed, escalating into a scuffle before locals intervened and separated the two groups.
Later that night, City University students reportedly attacked and vandalised Bachelor Paradise, where several DIU students lived.
Around midnight, hundreds of agitated DIU students armed with homemade weapons retaliated by storming the City University campus. They vandalised the offices of the VC, Registrar and Pro-VC, along with the conference room, computer lab and accounts section, and set fire to at least 10 vehicles.
More than 100 students and several locals were injured, with 30 to 35 taken to hospitals in Savar and Dhaka.
Protests and detentions
In protest, City University students blocked the Birulia–Mirpur road from 6:00am, while DIU students blocked the Birulia–Ashulia road until noon, causing severe traffic congestion across the area.
DIU spokesperson Syed Mizanur Rahman said the university was “looking for a solution” to defuse tensions.
During the clashes, City University’s security personnel and students detained 11 DIU students.
Around 3:00pm, the detainees — some critically injured — were handed over to DIU authorities and later admitted to a local hospital, said DIU student Sarowar Jahan.
Authorities respond
University Grants Commission (UGC) Additional Director Sultan Mahmud visited both campuses and inspected the 10 burned vehicles and damaged facilities, including the VC office at City University.
Both universities are reportedly preparing to file cases with Savar Police Station over the incident.
