Chhatra Dal, Shibir clash at college in Pabna

Published : Thursday, 23 April, 2026 at 8:44 PM Count : 7

Activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir clashed near the front gate of Ishwardi Government College in Pabna on Thursday morning, leaving at least 10 injured from both sides.

The fighting erupted shortly after Shibir launched what they called a “pre-announced” procession near the college campus in protest against a recent clash between the rival student groups in Chattogram.

Shibir said they had secured permission from the college authorities for staging Thursday's demonstration and had also asked the local police to cooperate to this end.

Chhatra Dal leaders did not clarify if the Shibir programme was scheduled, but said that the pro-Jamaat group had brought in “outsiders” with the intent to injure Chhatra Dal activists.

Eyewitnesses said that both sides had been massing forces in and around the college campus since early morning.

Around 11:30am, Shibir activists brought out a procession from the Bokul intersection near the college front gate. As the procession reached the gate, clash broke out between the two groups. Both sides used brick chips, crude bombs, sharp weapons and batons.

At one point, a makeshift office of Chhatra Dal, located in front of the front gate, was vandalised.

Chhatra Dal’s college unit Vice President Imran Hossain Khan said his teammates were maintaining a “peaceful presence” near the college gate before the clashes started. All of a sudden, 100-150 Shibir activists, aided by “outsiders,” approached the gate chanting different defamatory, provocative and vulgar slogans against BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, BNP’s Pabna district unit Convener Habibur Rahman Habib and others.

Then, the Shibir agitators hurled crude bombs, vandalised the Chhatra Dal office, and also beat up Chhatra Dal activists, Imran alleged.

As JCD activists approached to resist Shibir threw brick chips, leaving 8-10 injured.

Chhatra Dal’s college unit leader Imran further alleged that the unit’s 8-10 members including President Khalid Bin Parthib, Organisational Secretary Ziaur Rahman Zia, leader Ibrahim Khokon, Alim were injured by the brickbats thrown by Shibir activists.

Shibir’s Ishwardi Upazila unit President Sajib Hasan shifted the blame, saying the clash erupted when Chhatra Dal activist abruptly threw brick chips targeting a Shibir procession.

He said he had no knowledge about who vandalised Chhatra Dal’s office. Shibir is not engaged in the “politics of vandalism,” Sajib Hasan said.

Md Afzal Hossain, in-charge at the Ambagan Police Outpost in Ishwardi town, said the situation later improved and both sides left the campus. Additional police have been deployed on the campus to ensure security, he added.

FP/MI