Prem Dhakal

Guardians of the students injured in a clash with fellow students at the University of Science and Technology in Chittagong, Bangladesh Friday night urged the Foreign Ministry to recall the assailants for the security of their wards and others studying at the university.

They met Foreign Secretary Madan Bhattarai on Monday and expressed their concerns about the security of the Nepali students in Chittagong. “Even if the college rusticates the guilty students, the life of our children will be under threat as long as the assailants remain in Bangladesh. So, we have asked the Foreign Ministry to recall the guilty students,” a mother, whose son is studying at the varsity, said. “We sent our children to study there with our hard-earned money but they are not able to concentrate on their studies and are literally living in hiding owing to the threat of the attackers,” she added.

Fifteen students were injured when an armed group of fellow Nepali students attacked them at the university hostel Friday night following a minor altercation four days earlier. She said the guardians gave a list containing the names of the assailants to secretary Bhattarai. According to the guardians who met secretary Bhattarai, Rajendra Dhungana, Shambhu Sen Tumbafo, Ratna Shahi, Dinesh Raj Dahit, Raju Sherchan, Susabin Rai, Durga Gurung and Ghanashyam Rai were involved in the attack.

“We have already asked the Nepali Embassy in Bangladesh to look into the matter and will act according to its report,” secretary Bhattarai said. The embassy in Dhaka said a military attaché will go to Chittagong for a field investigation and submit a report to Foreign Ministry as soon as the investigation is completed.

Meanwhile, a student who lives at the university hostel said college authorities visited them at the hostel and assured that the attackers will be arrested soon.

Out of the three students seriously injured in the incident, two have been discharged from the Chittagong Medical College. Dipak Giri, who was stabbed in stomach and then locked inside his room, and Jagalal Jaiswal, who had received severe head injury, have been discharged. But Sailuja Nanda Bhurel, who was thrown from the third floor of the building, is still recovering at the government hospital.

Bhurel lost five teeth of his upper jaw and the heel bone of his right leg that had broken into two pieces was plastered Sunday evening. He also has injuries to his scalp in parietal region of the skull, according to a student. Bhurel has currently been shifted to the general ward, from ICU and advised complete bed rest.

Published on: 14 June 2011 | Republica