Routine rivalry: Behind the never-ending battle between Dhaka and City colleges

For Jahangir Alam, running a glassware shop in Dhaka's Science Lab area has become a daily gamble. One flying brick, and the entire front could shatter – along with his income.

"It's like they've made fighting a part of their routine," he says, pointing at the two colleges on either side of his shop: Dhaka College and City College.

Dateline: Tuesday, 21 April. Tension was already in the air.

The previous day, a Dhaka College student was allegedly attacked – supposedly by City College students. The response? A retaliatory march towards City College by a group of Dhaka students at 11:30am.

Bricks flew. People ran. Police intervened. By 2 pm, it happened again.

This wasn't an isolated outburst – it's part of a troubling trend.

From late 2023 through early 2025, fights have flared up over petty provocations.

In the past eight months alone, there have been more than 13 reported clashes in the area involving three colleges, with Dhaka and City College being the primary players.

Hundreds have been injured – students, bystanders, shopkeepers.

'Can't take it anymore' 

Science Lab is one of Dhaka's busiest junctions, connecting several major roads. When fights break out, traffic halts for hours. Entire neighbourhoods get paralysed.

Mokaddes Matubbor, who's been selling puffed rice in front of City College for 28 years, still recalls one scene with a shudder: "About 200 boys were beating one kid. I couldn't take it – I said, 'He's had enough.' They turned to me and said, 'Get lost, or we'll beat you too.'"

"I once had to park my bus here for five hours during a clash," said a Savar Paribahan driver. "Sometimes, we lose an entire day."

Glassware shop owner Jahangir Alam says he used to see maybe one or two clashes a year. "Now, it feels endless. As soon as fighting starts, we shut down. There's no other choice."

And if shopkeepers can shutter, what about the street vendors?

Wahab Mollah, who sells picture frames near Dhaka College, says the fights are unpredictable. "You just have to run. You don't know who's hitting whom, or why."

Online outrage, dark humour

The chaos has become so frequent, it's entered the realm of satire.

"What Dhaka, City or Ideal College students do isn't fighting – it's their annual festival," one former student posted on Facebook.

Writer Shoaib Sarbanam jokingly proposed a "regulated battlefield" for college fights.

"Let them rent a park. No weapons except sticks – standardised and QC-checked by Buet researchers. Medical tents nearby. Colour-coded T-shirts for each side. And whoever wins gets special privileges, like not having to tolerate others smoking in front of their college."

What fuels violence

Johnny Rahman, a student at Dhaka College, believes it often starts with individual grudges that spiral into institutional rivalries.

"Say a Dhaka College boy gets attacked near City College. He posts on Facebook: 'City boys beat me.' Others feel emotional. It becomes 'us vs them' overnight."

Sadia Rahman (pseudonym), a City College student, agrees. "The ego over one's institution is toxic. Even if they don't know each other, just hearing someone from the other college makes them hostile."

"Second-year boys are the main perpetrators," Sadia says. "They're too eager to show off."

One of the less discussed – but very real – reasons behind many fights? Romance.

City College boys don't want their girls dating students from other colleges, said a group of female students. But Dhaka College has no girls! Relationships happen – and fights follow.

Seeking a way out

Despite meetings, temporary truces, and administrative warnings, the violence continues.

On 23 April, another meeting was held between the principals of Dhaka College, City College, Ideal College, and senior police officials.

"We're forming a WhatsApp group with college authorities and law enforcement to share intelligence," said Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Division.

But will it work? Many students are sceptical. The hope, however, is universal.

As student Zaker Hossain puts it: "We just want to walk the streets safely. I don't want to get beaten up just because I go to a different college."