‘He works for the Chhatra League. Kill him’

The leaders and activists of the Chhatra League were thrown off the roof of a building during the clashes between the quota reform protesters and Chhatra League and Jubo League activists in Chattogram city’s Muradpur.

They were beaten even after they fell from the roof to the ground. Prior to the incident, the Chhatra League leaders and activists stuck on the roof were allegedly stabbed with sharp weapons.

A Chhatra League activist who was injured in the incident has described the attack while receiving treatment in a hospital.

The video of Chhatra League leaders and activists being thrown off the roof of a five-storey building next to Mosjide Belal in Muradpur has gone viral on social media.

Chattagram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Saiful Islam went to the scene on Wednesday morning. He assured that strict action would be taken against those involved in the incident.

On Tuesday afternoon, a clash erupted in the city’s Sholashohor Rail Station area surrounding the quota reform protest movement. The clash later spread to the Muradpur intersection from Sholashohor through the Gate No. 2 area.

After being chased at one point during the clash, a group of Chhatra League activists took shelter on the rooftop of the five-storey building next to Mosjide Belal and were stuck there. The anti-quota protesters cordoned off the building. The Chhatra League activists were detained and beaten on the roof.

The video that went viral on social media shows Chhatra League activists on the roof being heavily beaten. Another video shows bloodstained Chhatra League activists lying on the roof.

A third video shows as many as 15 Chhatra League leaders and activists trying to escape the anti-quota protesters by climbing down the cornices and water pipes on the building.

Some among them took shelter between sunshades and windows. The protesters were seen throwing stones and trying to get them to fall down using rods and hockey sticks from above. Brickbats were also thrown at them from below.

At one point, an individual dressed in black fell off a sunshade on the right side of the building. The body hit the ground hard and did not move. Within a few minutes, another person fell to the ground.

A person is heard calling for the Chhatra League activists to fall, while another cried out in shock when one of them hit the ground.

A voice shouts that the Chhatra League activists should die and never come back to the area, while another tries to stop the beatings, saying they may be killed.

Jalal Uddin Zubayer, a Chhatra League leader from Govt Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College in Chattogram, has suffered critical injuries after falling off the rooftop. The vein in his arm has been severed. One of his legs was broken.

Describing the attack while undergoing hospital treatment, Zubayer said, “I climbed up and was on the roof. The attackers started to kick the door down. I asked them to leave.”

“They said - didn’t you beat our sisters yesterday? We will kill you today. Then they stabbed my left arm. When I tried to move, another kicked me from behind and I fell off.”

Zubayer said, “There was a pile of bricks below. I fell on it and was knocked unconscious. When I returned to my senses a bit, I saw around 50-60 attackers carrying hockey sticks and stumps rushing at me by climbing the wall.”

“One of them said, ‘I know him. He works for the Chhatra League - kill him.’ When they heard this, they all started to beat me. I begged them to stop and said that I also work for ordinary students. What is my crime?”

Nurul Azim Rony, former general secretary of the city’s Chhatra League unit, told bdnews24.com: “Our activists were attacked on their heads, arms and legs by sharp weapons. The veins of one person’s arms and legs were cut. Five or six of them were thrown off the rooft.”

“Islami Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Dal criminals carried out the attack on behalf of the quota protesters. The injured were held captive at the building for several hours. Police were late in rescuing them despite being repeatedly asked for help. Fire Service and Red Crescent personnel later recovered them.”

The Chhatra League men took the injured to Chattogram Medical College Hospital after the rescue operation.

Rony said, five of them have been admitted to Chattogram Medical College’s ICU and three others were taken to ICU units of two separate hospitals in critical condition.

Md Sayed Hossain, Chattogram divisional coordinator of quota reform protests at colleges affiliated with National University, denied their involvement in any such attack.

“The Chhatra League activists did not recognise each other and became embroiled in violence. We are ordinary protesters and we were not carrying any weapons.”

After visiting the scene, CMP Commissioner Islam told bdnews24.com: “I have visited the places in Muradpur where three other people were killed on Tuesday.

“I inspected the building in Muradpur. I was shocked to see the incident where people were thrown off the roof. Strict action must be taken against the accused. The delay of the police force to reach the scene from nearby Gate No. 2 will also be investigated.”

Three people were killed and at least 40 others suffered injuries during the clashes in the port city on Tuesday. Six people were killed across the country amid the violence.

The police commissioner says efforts are underway to start a case over the incident.