Rajshahi University shut indefinitely after series of clashes..................

The Rajshahi University was closed indefinitely after the general secretary of the university unit of Jama'at-e-Islami's student front Islami Chhatra Shibir was killed and scores were injured in clashes with pro-Awami League Bangladesh Chhatra League on the campus Friday.

Anisur Rahman, officer in charge of Rajpara Police Station of Rajshahi city, told us Sharifuzzaman Nomani died around midday.

Assistant proctor Moshtaq Ahmed told us the authorities decided to shut down the public university and asked male students to vacate dormitories by 5pm.

The female students will have to leave theirs by 10am Saturday.

The university will provide buses to help the students leave the campus, Ahmed added.

Hundreds of pro-Jama'at student activists were in control of the Rajshahi University campus in the noon after two days of tension and clashes with rivals including ruling AL supporters.

"A fierce gunbattle is on," a campus insider told us in the morning. Journalists, including our correspondent, covering the violence were forced out of the campus.

Over a hundred ICS activists were sued Thursday after nearly 500 of them, carrying firearms, entered the campus Wednesday, seeking to flush out rivals, our correspondent, among the witnesses, said.

Police in an overnight raid detained 68 ICS activists after the campus BCL chief filed a case, naming senior ICS and Jama'at men.

The clashes between ICS and BCL activists backed by locals began in the early hours Friday, police said.

Eight to 10 people including police have already been injured, they said.

Motihar police chief Rafiqul Islam Khan told us Friday morning, "Rajshahi University BCL president Ibrahim Hossain Moon filed a case against four to five hundred ICS activists and naming 164 of them Thursday night, accusing them of attacking BCL leaders and activists, vandalising their rooms at the dorms and using explosives."

Names of Rajshahi city Jama'at-e-Islami leader Emajuddin Mandal, RU ICS president Delwar Hossain Saidi and general secretary Nomani were included in the case statement, police said.

The case was filed after ICS activists attacked and injured BCL activists at RU Wednesday.

Motihar police then raided the RU halls and neighbouring Godhuli Students' Hostel and Binodpur Welfare Foundation, with the operation continuing from 2am till 5:30 am. Police took 68 ICS activists into custody.

Immediately after the police raid, the Shibir activists attacked the BCL activists at Shaheed Sohrawardi Hall and Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Hall, wounding seven.

The RU authorities then ordered closure of six dormitories including these two.

At around 9am Friday, a local trader of Binodpur was attacked, bringing the angry locals into the fight. They joined the BCL activists to counter the Shibir onslaught.

Of the injured, Rajshahi metropolitan Swechchhasevak League member and businessman Robi was stated to be in critical condition.

Clashes spread to the Station Bazaar area, where police and RAB were rushed.

The Dhaka-Rajshahi highway has remained closed since the clashes erupted Friday morning, police said.