Dhaka: A stray group of Dhaka University students Tuesday ransacked the first floor of BIRDEM Hospital in the city and confined its Director in his office chamber, kicking up turbulence in the busy heartland of the capital.    

Witnesses said long traffic tailbacks on the Shahbagh-Airport route and the crossroads put thousands of commuters into abject sufferings.

Sources said Monjur Hussain Jewel, a final-year DU student of Linguistics department, who came to Birdem with a relative for treatment in the morning, tried to jump the patients’ queue to meet the doctor concerned.

“As a security guard came to prevent them, the student quarreled with him and the abused sentry slapped the student suddenly,” says a spot report by banglanews24.com.bd DU correspondent Dhrubo Abdul Alim about how the melee erupted.

The student went back to his campus and returned with a group of friends and went on the rampage on the first floor of Birdem. At the time security guards also detained and beat up some of them.

DU Proctor Prof. Saiful Islam rushed to the hospital and sat in a meeting with the authorities to solve the problem amicably. Ramna thana officials were also present at the meeting.

Among the injured students, Zahir Ahmed of Psychology 3rd year, Farhad Hussain of Psychology 4th year and Monjur Hussain of linguistics final year were rushed to the University Medical Center.

Major-General (rtd) Zia Uddin Ahmed, Director of BIRDEM, said “sorry” for the unwanted incident.

He said a probe committee was formed with Deputy Director Ashfaq Uddin and assistant proctor of Dhaka University Prof Aftab Ali as members and Dr Abdus Salam of Birdem as its chief.

The probe committee has been asked to submit the investigation report within 72 hours. “The guilty will be punished,” said the director.

BDST: 1645 HRS, May 15, 2010
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