Dhaka, July 26: Bangladesh's government today ordered a judicial probe into a raid on a women's university dormitory that left scores injured and provoked an outcry by student groups and the main opposition party.
A commission headed by a Supreme Court judge, Tofazzal Islam, will present within one week a report on the pre-dawn raid Wednesday on the dormitory at the capital's premier Dhaka University, information ministry officials said.
University authorities and the police have begun separate enquiries into the raid, which came after clashes on the campus between supporters of prime minister Khaleda Zia and rival groups.
At least 50 students, including women, were injured in the raid and 30 were arrested. Most were later released by police on bonds.
Student groups, including one backed by Bangladesh's main opposition Awami League Party, have been observing a strike since yesterday, demanding the resignation of the university's vice chancellor Anwarullah Chowdhury, who once headed a teachers group backed by the ruling party.
The Awami League in a statement condemned the police action as "unacceptable and beyond imagination" and also demanded Chowdhury's dismissal.
Dhaka university is one of the most politically charged campuses in Bangladesh, where clashes between rival student movements are commonplace.
Bureau Report