Wed Feb 19 08:25:21 UTC 2025: ## Bangladesh University Clashes Leave Over 150 Students Injured
**DHAKA, Bangladesh –** More than 150 students were injured in clashes at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday, February 18th, highlighting ongoing tensions between student groups involved in last year’s national revolution that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The violence erupted after the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attempted to recruit students on campus. This sparked a confrontation with Students Against Discrimination (SAD), a key player in the anti-Hasina uprising. Police reported at least 50 students requiring hospital treatment for injuries sustained from thrown bricks and sharp weapons, with approximately 100 others suffering minor injuries. Graphic footage circulated on social media showed students wielding scythes and machetes.
Both the BNP and SAD traded blame for initiating the violence. Nasir Uddin Nasir, head of the BNP’s student wing, accused members of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami of instigating the conflict, a claim denied by local students who stated Jamaat was not present on campus. Other students reported that the BNP’s actions violated a campus agreement to remain free of established political party activities.
The incident sparked outrage nationwide, culminating in a protest rally at Dhaka University condemning the BNP youth wing. The clashes are a stark reminder of the volatile political landscape in Bangladesh, where SAD, initially instrumental in toppling Hasina’s government, has struggled to consolidate its political power. With elections expected by mid-2025 under a caretaker administration, the future stability of Bangladesh remains uncertain.
First Piper 