3 killed amid quota protests in Ctg

At least three people were killed during a clash between quota protesters and activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League in Chattogram's Muradpur. 

"As of 6:15pm, three people have died. Many were injured including policemen. The total number of injured cannot be said now," Chattogram Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (South) Md Ashraful Karim told The Business Standard.

Fierce clashes were reported in Muradpur and Gate No-2 areas of the city with incidents of firing and cocktail explosions.

Two of the deceased are Md Farooq, 32, an employee of a furniture shop, and Md Wasim Akram, 22, a student of Sociology Department of Chittagong College. Wasim Akram was the joint convener of Chittagong College Chhatra Dal. 

Their bodies have been sent to the morgue of Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

The other deceased is yet to be identified.

Confirming their deaths, CMCH Director Brigadier General Mohammad Taslim Uddin told The Business Standard that nine more injured people were admitted to the hospital.

Quota reformists announced a programme at the city's Sholashar station at 3pm today in protest against the attack on protesting students across the country yesterday.

However, leaders and activists of Chhatra League and Juba League were occupying the place of the programme since this morning. The clashes broke out when the protesting students took up a position at Muradpur area in the city, a few hundred yards away from the Sholashar station.

Besides, a BRTC double-decker bus carrying students of International Islamic University of Chittagong was vandalised. Protesting students claimed that the attackers were activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League.

TBS correspondents at the scene reported that the entire CDA Avenue road from Muradpur to Gate No-2 areas turned into a battlefield due to the clashes. 

The situation was calm as of 6:30pm, and quota protesters started leaving Muradpur area.

Meanwhile, three platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed in the city to control the situation, said BGB Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam. 

On the other hand, the volunteers of the Red Crescent Society joined the police to rescue the injured from different areas.