Student vs Student: Why clashes broke out at a Bangladesh university

Bangladesh made headlines last year after a student-led protest movement prompted the ouster of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since the toppling of her Awami League government, the South Asian country has reported a series of violent incidents.

Now, Bangladesh is back in the news due to clashes at a university campus that reportedly injured over 150 students. Tensions remain high at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) in Bangladesh’s southwestern Khulna district since two rival student groups clashed on Tuesday (February 18).

Let’s take a closer look.

Violent clashes at Bangladesh university

A skirmish broke out between two rival groups in Bangladesh’s KUET on Tuesday over calls to ban student politics on campus.

Clashes occurred between Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal (JCD), a student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former PM Khalid Zia, and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM), a group that led last year’s student movement that resulted in the ouster of Hasina.

More from Explainers

Bangladesh: 150 injured in clashes after BNP tries to recruit students at engineering college China courts Bangladesh's big parties amid calls for parliamentary election

As the BNP-affiliated wing tried to recruit students, they were stopped by ADSM activists. JCD activists allegedly distributed leaflets on the campus on Monday calling for restarting student politics on campus, which was banned last August.

In response, eyewitnesses told Dhaka Tribune that some students rallied outside university dormitories chanting slogans like “No place for student politics at KUET,” “We demand a politics-free campus,” and “Student politics will not exist here.”

Clashes took place as the two sides reached in front of the central mosque.

“Tensions erupted between two student groups at KUET, leading to a chase and counter-chase. We are working to bring the situation under control,” Khulna police officer Kabir Hossain was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.

Editor’s Picks

1

Why Bangladesh protesters are targeting popular newspaper, Prothom Alo 2

Was Muhammad Yunus the wrong choice to bring stability to Bangladesh?

These terrorists must be held accountable and justice. They cannot go unpunished. They with sharp arms yesterday attacked on innocent students in Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, commonly known as KUET. pic.twitter.com/4WOmF74fwb

— Dr. Rezaul Karim (@drkarimbd) February 19, 2025

According to a bdnews24.com report, the situation worsened when BNP leaders and activists from nearby areas joined the Chhatra Dal protesters and general students, while activists of the Chhatra Shibir joined ADSM members.

Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir is the student wing of the Islamist political party Jamaat-e-Islami.

Some outsiders vandalised a vehicle at the university, while students attacked many houses near KUET’s main gate, reported Dhaka Tribune.

Khulna police officer Hossain told AFP that at least 50 people were taken to hospitals for treatment.

According to Communications student Jahidur Rahman, people were injured by bricks and “sharp weapons”, adding that about 100 others had suffered minor injuries.

Videos from the incident shared online show the rival groups brandishing scythes and machetes and throwing stones.

Two Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) platoons were deployed to control the situation at the varsity. Police have detained five people in connection with the violence, as per Dhaka Tribune.

The incident also triggered a student protest rally in the capital city late Tuesday night to condemn the BNP’s youth wing at Dhaka University, reported AFP.

Notably, the protest launched by Students Against Discrimination last year led to the downfall of the Hasina government in August. The BNP activists had also joined the student protesters in the final days of her tenure that saw a bloody crackdown on protesters.

Blame and counter-blame

A blame game has begun after Tuesday’s violent confrontation at KUET. The leaders of BNP’s youth wing, Chhatra Dal, have accused Jamaat-linked Shibir activists and some students associated with Students Against Discrimination for carrying out the attack to “tarnish” their image.

“Every major fire in Bangladesh starts with a small short circuit. Yesterday, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s unruly mob initiated such an act. The attack was led by [KUET convener of ADSM] Omar Faruq and monitored from the centre by [central convener] Hasnat Abdullah,” Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin said at a press conference on Wednesday, as per the local daily Prothom Alo.

He alleged individuals from Chhatra Shibir attacked Chhatra Dal members during the clash. Chhatra Dal said it has sent a three-member investigation committee to KUET to probe the incident.

Meanwhile, a group of students at the university have claimed Chhatra Dal and local leaders and activists of the BNP orchestrated the attacks. They have also called for a ban on student politics on campus and demanded the resignation of the university’s Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Mashud, reported bdnews24.com.

KUET shut after clashes

Classes were suspended at the varsity on Wednesday, a day after the clashes, and will remain discontinued until February 28.

As per the local daily Dhaka Tribune, the university is likely to reopen after Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr holidays which will begin on March 1 and end on April 6.

However, the Vice Chancellor has said the resumption of academic activities on April 7 would depend on the prevailing conditions.

Many students have already left the campus, while others were considering going in the coming days, they told the local daily.

With inputs from agencies