2002 Police raid Shamsunnahar Hall refers to a raid by Bangladesh police on Shamsunnahar Hall of the University of Dhaka on 23 July 2002. The raid injured 200 students and is remembered as the Shamsunnahar Hall Tragedy day in Bangladesh.

Background

In 2002

Bangladesh Nationalist Party The Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( bn, বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী দল, Bangladesh Jātīyotābādī Dol; BNP) is a centre-right to right-wing nationalist, political party in Bangladesh and one of the major ...

was in power and

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal ( bn, জাতীয়তাবাদী ছাত্রদল ''Jatiyôtabadee Chhatrô Dôl''), also known as ''J.C.D'', is the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Many of the top BNP leade ...

is its student wing. The students of Shamsunnahar Hall of the University of Dhaka were protesting to the unauthorised staying of the leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal in the dorm.

Event

The police raided the dorm in the middle of the night on 23 July 2002. Residents of the dorms were dragged out by police officers and assaulted. The police were joined in the raid by leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.

Reaction

The attack was protested throughout the university the following day. Professor

Anwarullah Chowdhury Anwarullah Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi academic. He served as the 24th Vice-chancellor of the University of Dhaka. He was the ambassador of Bangladesh to Bahrain. Education and career Chowdhury earned his master's degree in Sociology from the Uni ...

, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, was forced to resign following the raid. The proctor of the university resigned as well. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia ordered the formation of a commission to investigate the incident. The one man commission was made up of Justice M Tafazzul Islam. The probe report blamed the incident on Additional Deputy Commissioner Abdur Rahim of Bangladesh Police and the officials of University of Dhaka. The raid was led by Police officer Kohinoor Mian.

Legacy

In 2003, the first anniversary of the raid,

Bangladesh Chhatra League The Bangladesh Chhatra League ( bn, বাংলাদেশ ছাত্রলীগ; translation: Bangladesh Students' League; BSL), formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, often simply called the Chhatra League, is a students' po ...

carried out a candlelight procession at the Central Shahid Minar. Students Against Repression submitted a memorandum to vice chancellor Syed Muhammed Abul Faiz calling for action against those responsible. The day of the raid is remembered as Shamsunnahar Hall Tragedy day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2002 Police raid Shamsunnahar Hall 2002 in Bangladesh 2000s in Dhaka Crime in Bangladesh University of Dhaka