A dispute over seating on the stage during a Chhatra Dal concert at Jagannath University (JnU) escalated into a clash between two groups, leaving at least three students injured.
The incident took place at around 12.30am on Wednesday (16 September) in the Kathaltala area of the university, in front of the Social Sciences Building.
Eyewitnesses said the confrontation began with an argument between supporters of Mostafizur Rahman Rumi, joint convenor No. 2 of the JnU Chhatra Dal unit, and supporters of joint convenor No. 1 Sumon Sardar. The disagreement reportedly centred on who would sit on the stage during the concert.
The verbal exchange gradually intensified, with pushing and shoving reported between members of the two groups. The situation then escalated into a physical clash in the Kathaltala area.
The injured students have been identified as Tanzil Ahmed Mithil, a student of the Mathematics Department from the 2022-23 academic session, and Shawon and Monir, both from the Chemistry Department. All three went to Dhaka National Medical College Hospital for treatment after the incident.
Kamal Hossain, a doctor in the hospital’s emergency department, said three people had sought treatment. Two had sustained injuries to their heads, while one was admitted to the surgery department.
According to eyewitnesses, tensions initially developed after a member of one group objected to another group’s member being seated on the stage. An exchange of words was followed by physical pushing, after which more members became involved and the confrontation spread to the area in front of the Social Sciences Building.
The exact circumstances behind the clash could not be independently established immediately. While the dispute over stage seating was identified by eyewitnesses as the immediate trigger, it was not clear whether any other issue contributed to the escalation.
Attempts were made several times to contact JnU Chhatra Dal convenor Mehedi Hasan Himel and joint convenor Mostafizur Rahman Rumi for their comments. However, no response was received.
Sumon Sardar, joint convenor of the JnU Chhatra Dal unit, said the incident resulted from a misunderstanding between senior and junior members. He said the altercation had since been resolved.
The university administration said it had not been aware of the incident when it occurred. JnU Proctor Professor Dr Azam Khan said he had heard about the matter for the first time and would look into it before taking necessary action.
The incident has brought renewed attention to tensions that can emerge during student-organised events when disagreements escalate rapidly. In this case, a dispute reportedly centred on seating arrangements during a concert before developing into a physical confrontation that left three students injured. Further details about the circumstances of the clash will depend on the university administration’s assessment of the incident.
