Fierce clashes break out in Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur between BCL, police and quota protesters; govt deploys BGB in 6 districts; all universities, colleges, secondary schools closed; univ students asked to vacate halls; Thursday’s HSC exams suspended

Abu Sayed, 25, a student of English department at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, was killed during a clash between police and the protesters on campus yesterday.

He was the son of Mokbul Hossain from Babanpur village of Rangpur's Pirganj upazila.

Demonstrators said a procession of students from Lalbagh area reached the university Gate-1 around 2:30pm and a clash ensued with the police.

A video clip making the rounds in social media shows a shot being fired at Sayed when he is standing with his arms spread out in front of a group of police across the street. Moments later, he is seen falling to the ground.

A student who took Sayed to the hospital, said, "Police were firing rubber bullets and tear gas at us. Sayed was hit in the chest and fell unconscious on the street. We took him to the hospital in a battery-run rickshaw. I tried to talk to him, but he did not respond."

Eunus Ali, director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, said, "One injured student was brought dead to the hospital at 3:05pm."

"The emergency unit informed me that he suffered injuries from rubber bullets," he said.

Around 30 students, including several female students, were also injured in the incident.

Md Moniruzzaman, commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star that a group of students were demonstrating on the campus around 2:30pm.

He said students from nearby education institutions also joined the protest.

He claimed that the protesters attacked a police station nearby, injuring several police personnel, and damaged vehicles. The clash ensued as police retaliated, he said.

Tension ran high when student attempted to take Sayed's body to the campus as the police intercepted and took the body to the hospital for an autopsy.

The protesters set fire to the residence of Begum Rokeya University vice-chancellor following the death of its student Abu Sayed in police firing. The students also ransacked the ground floor of the residence.

VC Prof Abdur Rashid along with 15 to 20 officials, teachers, and staffers were confined to the building when the students attacked the residence in the evening, reports our Dinajpur correspondent.

The protesters also torched five university vehicles, said Asaduzzaman Mondal, general secretary of BRUR's teachers' association, adding that the students left the area after 7:00pm.

Law enforcers later rescued them, the teacher said.

The students also set fire to a BCL leader's room at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall of the university.