Dhaka: Leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), who did not get posts in the newly announced committee, alleged that they were attacked by General Secretary Golam Rabbani and his followers on early Saturday.

The incident happened around 2:30 am inside the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University (DU).

But the demonstrators went ahead with a hunger strike programme protesting against the attack at the base of Raju Memorial Sculpture amid rain at 3am, reports the UNB.

‘We were attacked first at Madhur Canteen when our 10-member delegation went to meet BCL president and general secretary,’ said Saif Babu, spokesperson of the deprived faction and former BCL publicity secretary.

‘Suddenly, BCL general secretary Golam Rabbani charged BM Lipi Akter (Deputy cultural affairs secretary in new committee) why she delivered a speech against him at a media talk show. Lipi replied that she learnt it from him,’ Saif said.

‘Rabbani got furious, abused her verbally and slapped her. Activists, loyal to Rabbani, also attacked other deprived students,’ Saif Babu alleged.

The alleged attackers included drama and debate affairs secretary Jewel Molla, GS (general secretary) of Sir AF Rahman hall union Abdur Rahim (Rahim Sarker), VP (vice-president) of Bangabandhu hall union Akmol Hossain, GS of Ziaur Rahman hall Hasibul Hossen Santo.

Those who claimed to have been assaulted are – Deputy Cultural Affairs Secretary Nipo Islam Tonni, Tilottama Sikder, Deputy Publication Secretary Farida Parvin, deputy Student-Scholarship Secretary Srabony Shaila, former deputy international affairs secretary Emdad Hossain Sohag, former assistant secretary Azmir Sheikh, former deputy publicity secretary of DU unit Sheikh Abdullah and general secretary of Shamsun Nahar hall unit Chhatra League Jiasmin Shanta.

Around 3am, Chhatra League President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and General Secretary Rabbani tried to calm down the protesters amid rain but they had been told to go away.

‘There were some altercations. But they weren’t serious … we’ll solve the problems,’ he told UNB.

Rabbani rejected the claims that the protesters had been attacked. ‘They’re staging a drama,’ he claimed.