Rajshahi University shut its doors indefinitely on Wednesday, and students were asked to vacate halls by midday, after violent clashes between students and locals left some 50 injured the previous night.
Authorities rushed a meeting of the Syndicate at 8am and declared the public university in the northern city closed until further orders in a desperate bid to restore order on the campus and in areas close by.
Police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse mobs after the students swooped on a bus company in Binodpur over a bus seat row at 8pm Tuesday, witnesses said.
"To manage the suddenly erupting crisis and to ensure safety of people and property, the university has been closed down and the resident students have been asked to vacate all 16 halls by 12 noon Wednesday," RU registrar and syndicate member-secretary Mohammad Shaafi said.
The university was shut after all concerned agreed to do so, he said after a meeting of the policy-making syndicate.
Dr Mamnunul Keramat, the acting VC presided over the emergency meeting attended by a number of syndicate members including Islamia College principal Siddique Hossain, RU professor Abul Hashem, treasurer Mozammel Haque, Rajshahi Medical College principal Dr Fazlur Rahman and syndicate member-secretary and registrar Mohammad Shaafi.
bdnews24.com RU correspondent says the story began with a second year student, Humayun Ahmed, rushing home to see his ailing father.
He bought a bus ticket Tuesday afternoon from the Binodpur counter of Hanif Enterprise, but was assured that he would be given a seat only after the Dhaka-bound bus reached Natore.
The counter manager Kanak charged him Tk 300, the full price set for Rajshahi to Dhaka travel.
Humayun protested as he was offered no seat even as he travelled upto Natore standing all the way.
The bus superviser instead compelled Humayun to alight at Natore. On return to Rajshahi, he went up to the bus ticket counter and asked for refund of his passage money, but to no avail.
When the counter manager told Humayun to "get lost" saying that he didn't "recognise" him, the poor student spoke to his friends who then went to Hanif's agent to demand the money again. The manager was not listening.
The students then got enraged and vandalised the ticket booth, which gradually turned into clashes between the locals and the RU students.
About fifty people were injured.
At around 1am, the police came, fired 10 bullets and used teargas canisters, trying to disperse the belligerent crowd.
About 10 platoons of riot police, Rab and Bangladesh Rifles personnel have since been deployed in the area.
Rajshahi metropolitan police deputy commissioners Sajjadur Rahman and Mahbubur Rahman inspected the spot early Wednesday.
Subject: Rajshahi University shut after 50 hurt in bloody clashes................. 
Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:56 pm
