12 hurt in clash over ‘having tea’

Crude bomb explosions and violent clashes took place last night as students of Dhaka College and Teachers' Training College attacked each other.

The clash, which halted traffic movement for hours, took place after physical assault of three students of Dhaka College during an altercation "over tea".

Twelve Dhaka College students were injured in the incident and they took treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

"We are working to control the situation ... But the students are not listening to us," Gias Uddin, an inspector of New Market Police Station, told The Daily Star.

Police said the clash broke out around 8:30pm when students of Teachers' Training College beat up three Dhaka College students over having tea in Central College.

Visiting the area, it was seen that Dhaka College Chhatra League activists with rods, sticks and machetes were surrounding Teachers' Training College.

Inside, crude bombs exploded one after another.

All entrances to the college were closed due to the clashes. Students were throwing brick chunks from the roof of the academic building, while Dhaka College BCL activists from Mirpur Road.

Some students wearing t-shirts of Dhaka College Chhatra League were seen breaking mobile phones of those who were capturing the incident.

Some tried to snatch the mobile phone of a Daily Star correspondent, but could not as a police official intervened.

Police fired several teargas canisters to take the situation under control around 10:20pm. Vehicular movement started around 10:40pm.

Tension was simmering till filing of this report at 12:25pm.