Tension erupts at Dhaka University after eviction drive sparks assault allegations

Dhaka University has been thrown into turmoil as an eviction drive targeting illegal shops and floating or transient vendors triggered allegations of assault and subsequent protests.

On Saturday, the operation was led by DUCSU Social Services Secretary AB Zubair, with police and a university administrative team participating, bdnews24.com reports. 

Witnesses said some shop owners were beaten while their stalls were vandalised. One vendor, Jasim Uddin, told bdnews24.com: “They are smashing my shop. When I said not to, they hit me.”

Footage showed a hawker being thrown onto the street by a member of the proctorial team during the eviction.

Later in the afternoon, displaced vendors staged a protest on campus, joined by leaders of left-leaning student organisations.

Ishrat Imu, a member of the Revolutionary Students’ Unity, said:

“I saw the DUCSU leaders striking vendors near Doel Chattar and under the metro rail. We joined the protest to oppose this assault. We want the campus free of floating vendors, but we do not support using force to evict them.”

In response, Zubair and his supporters held a counter-protest. Several stalls near Dhaka University’s gate at Suhrawardy Udyan were removed. Zubair reportedly clashed verbally with NCP leader Mir Arshadul Islam during the operation.

Later, Zubair, member Sarbamitro Chakma, and Surja Sen Hall VP Azizul Haque protested in front of the proctor’s office, meeting the assistant proctor at 11:30pm to demand action against participating students and other measures.

Chakma later set a deadline for the administration to act and offered to hand over video evidence of the protesters.

Assistant Proctor Rafiqul Islam said at 1am, “Those involved in the march will be summoned. We will decide with the proctor what actions can be taken within the law.”

Proctorial Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed said, “Appropriate measures will be taken against the students. We have a meeting this afternoon, and actions will follow standard procedure.”

Repeated phone calls to Zubair and Proctor Saifuddin on the assaults and vandalism went unanswered.

DUCSU VP Abu Shadik Kayem said, “We inform the administration of concerns; the rest is up to them. I cannot comment on the assault without knowing the full context.”