Fifth clash in four months: Dhaka College, City College students battle at Science Lab
The reasons for these clashes remain unclear, even to the students
Tensions flared once again today (22 April) as Dhaka College and City College students clashed for the fifth time in four months, leaving at least 30 injured.
The violence took place at the Science Lab intersection, where students threw bricks and stones at each other. Police responded with baton charges and tear gas, and several officers were injured in the chaos.
The clash, which started around 11am and continued until 3pm, is part of a troubling pattern of violence between the two colleges. Earlier this year, City College students were also involved in a separate fight with Ideal College students, making the total number of major clashes in the area six in the past four months.
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Despite the frequency and intensity of these confrontations, the reasons behind them remain unclear, even to the students themselves. Many have admitted they are unaware of why the violence erupts so often.
Eyewitnesses reported that Dhaka College students attacked City College and removed its signboard around 11am. City College students responded by confronting Dhaka College students with sticks, leading to a violent exchange of bricks and stones.
The violence spread, with City College students vandalising a bus at 1pm. After a brief pause, fighting resumed around 2pm when Dhaka College students breached police barricades. Police used sound grenades to regain control, and the conflict de-escalated around 3:15pm when City College's acting principal, Mobarak Hossain, urged students to return to their campus.
In a statement to the press, Mobarak expressed his dismay, criticising the delayed police response and pointing out that the attack on City College could have been minimised had authorities acted more swiftly.
Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam said that 10-15 police officers were injured by brickbats thrown by City College students. Meanwhile, City College students said more than 25 of their peers were hurt, many by police batons. At least five or six Dhaka College students were also injured in the clash.
Police said that the conflict started after a Dhaka College student was allegedly attacked by a group of people at the Science Lab intersection on Monday. Although CCTV footage showed the attackers weren't in uniforms, Dhaka College students believed City College students were responsible, which led to the attack on City College the following day.
The recurring clashes between Dhaka College and City College have raised serious concerns for law enforcement and college authorities. Since January, there have been at least five major confrontations, resulting in over 100 student injuries. These incidents are often linked to minor disputes or territorial rivalries, with Ideal College students also involved in one altercation.
Past clashes include a 19 January incident that injured one student, a 9 February fight between City College and Ideal College that left 18 injured, a 20 February confrontation following assaults on Dhaka College students, and an 18 March clash that injured over 50 students and pedestrians.
After the latest violence, DC Masud Alam expressed frustration, saying, "No one knows why these clashes happen — only Allah knows." He stressed the need for a permanent solution, adding, "This can't go on. We want a permanent solution. We need to meet with both college administrations and find a way to end this once and for all."
