Two factions of Chittagong University Chhatra League engaged in a clash over standing in the front row to greet admission seekers on the campus yesterday. The incident left some 50 people including seven cops injured.

Police later raided Shahjalal Hall and Shah Amanat Hall and detained 30 people there. They also seized an improvised rifle, several machetes and four sacks of brickbats from the dormitories.

About 15 CU students and admission seekers were hurt when police charged baton on them during the raid, said witnesses.

The CU honours admission tests for 2015-16 session began on Sunday. Yesterday, the first test was held from 10:30am to 11:30pm.

Many could not sit the second test in the afternoon (2:30pm-3:30pm) as they were left stranded in the two halls due to the police raid.

The injured received treatment at the CU health centre. Sixteen of them were later sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), said Kazi Mohammad Saifullah, chief medical officer at the health centre.

Nayek Abdul Hamid of the CMCH police camp said CU students Emon, U Ching Marma, Suman, Jamir and Asif were taken to the hospital with rubber bullet wounds.

According to witnesses, the clash broke out around 10:30am when a Chhatra League man, loyal to CU BCL General Secretary Fazle Rabbi Sujan, locked into an altercation with a supporter of the unit President Alamgir Tipu over greeting the admission seekers near the main gate of the university. At one stage, members of the BCL factions scuffled with one other.

Within around half an hour, the two rival groups gathered in front of Shahjalal Hall and Shah Amanat Hall, dominated by the president and general secretary, and hurled brickbats at each other.

On information, police went to the spot, some 50 yards away from the main gate, around 11:15pm and tried to calm things down. But the BCL men would not retreat.

Law enforcers then fired over 100 teargas shells and some rubber bullets to disperse the troublemakers. They brought the situation under control around 1:30pm.

A resident of Shahjalal Hall, Habibur Rahman of accounting and information system said police during the raid clubbed whoever was in dormitory rooms.

Talking to The Daily Star, CU BCL President Tipu said the supporters of Sujan attacked his followers to create an untoward situation on the campus. “Some eight of our members were injured in the attack,” he claimed.

Sujan, however, held the Tipu's supporters responsible for the clash.

ADMISSION SEEKERS SUFFER

Many admission seekers left the campus yesterday for fear of further breakdown in law and order.

Mokabbul Karim came to CU from Jessore on Sunday to take admission tests. He managed a seat at Shahjalal Hall with the help of a CU student. But he could not sit the admission test of marine science and fisheries institute yesterday afternoon.

“I was stranded in my room during the clash. Once the trouble was over, police entered the dormitory and beat up everyone. I was also injured in police action,” he said.

Karim said he will return to Jessore without taking any more tests.

Md Ezaj, another admission aspirant from Dhaka, also left the campus in the afternoon without taking the test. “My parents asked me to return home as they were worried about law and order.”

Admission tests at the university will end on November 9.