Tensions are escalating as confrontations between Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Islami Chhatra Shibir spread beyond Rangpur and Dhaka, with fresh clashes erupting in Barishal and Narayanganj, raising fears of an intensifying battle for influence on university campuses nationwide.
The latest violence has left at least 15 more people injured.
The flare-up unfolded during events marking July Mass Uprising Day, highlighting an increasingly violent power struggle.
Since the 2024 uprising, Shibir has swept student union elections to establish a commanding presence nationwide, but a resurgent JCD is aggressively pushing back to reclaim lost ground.
The current catalyst began on Monday at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, where activists clashed over a controversial billboard featuring Jamaat-e-Islami leaders convicted of 1971 war crimes. Similar billboard protests by the JCD had already triggered friction at Rajshahi University.
By Tuesday, heavy fighting erupted near Jagannath University, Dhaka College, and Dhaka Alia Madrasa, leaving nearly 100 people wounded and severely destabilising the capital’s academic institutions.
Senior Shibir leaders have posted warnings to Chhatra Dal on social media, though central Chhatra Dal leaders have so far refrained from responding formally.
When contacted by TIMES of Bangladesh, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said, “Unrest is brewing within Chhatra Shibir. They are being provoked, and their members are taking advantage of the unrest. Even so, Chhatra Dal has shown restraint, and we must maintain that patience.”
Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad told TIMES, “Since the mass uprising, students have stood firm against injustice. They are now protesting against the irregularities of the ruling BNP and its student wing.
Intimidated by these protests and the widespread support for ordinary students, the ruling party’s student body has begun attacking students and Chhatra Shibir members across university campuses.”
Violence flared at Barishal University on Wednesday morning during Shibir’s “Odommo July” rally.
JCD activists confronted the organisers, alleging that non-students had been brought in to swell the crowd.
Ashik Ahmed, senior vice-president of the university JCD unit, claimed Shibir launched an attack when asked to clear out these “outsiders,” leaving five or six JCD members injured.
Conversely, Shibir General Secretary Zakaria Islam Babu firmly rejected the allegations, insisting their peaceful gathering was ambushed and five of their own activists were hurt.
The chaotic encounter escalated into a series of chases across campus and heated arguments with university lecturers, eventually forcing Barishal Metropolitan Police to deploy extra units to enforce peace.
Meanwhile, a parallel conflict erupted at Government Tolaram College in Narayanganj, where hostile speeches quickly devolved into street warfare.
Armed with wooden sticks, iron pipes, and bamboo poles, rival activists clashed repeatedly along College Road for over an hour and a half.
Amit Hasan, president of Narayanganj city Shibir, reported sustaining a head injury during an unprovoked ambush that also sent Tolaram College Shibir President Emdadul Haque Shuvo and General Secretary Tamim Iqbal to hospital.
However, Tolaram College JCD President Monir Hossain Zia countered that Shibir instigated the riot through deliberate provocations, resulting in injuries to two JCD members.
Police eventually restored order after separating the groups, but once Shibir activists were cleared, JCD and Jubo Dal members staged a show-of-force march through Chashara brandishing weapons.
Narayanganj Detective Branch Chief Mohammad Hasinuzzaman confirmed that officers are now reviewing local CCTV footage to identify and prosecute those responsible for the violence.
