Cars burn, 50 hurt in Bangladesh student protests

By Nizam Ahmed

DHAKA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - At least six vehicles were set ablaze and 50 people injured on Wednesday, as a student protest that began at Bangladesh's Dhaka University spread to other institutions in the city and across the country, witnesses said.

In the capital students from half a dozen colleges and universities took to the streets, chanting support for comrades at Dhaka University -- the country's largest -- who boycotted classes and exams for a third day.

The continued protests came despite authorities closing down an army camp on the campus, meeting one of the protesters' demands.

The students used stones and sticks while riot police fired teargas and wielded batons in running battles, witnesses said.

Similar clashes were reported in the northwestern town of Rajshahi, the southern coastal town of Barisal and several other places.

At least 50 people were injured in the battles with police at the Rajshahi university and at a college in Khulna city in the southwest, witnesses said.

"The situation is deteriorating as teachers now have came out to join protesting students," said a police officer in Dhaka.

The violence has shut shops, forced public transport off the streets and caused panic among residents in affected areas, witnesses said.

The fighting had started there on Monday evening after troops assaulted some students protesting against the presence of soldiers at a football match held at the gymnasium compound.

Troops had been based in the complex since January when an interim administration took power after months of political violence in the country.

On Tuesday, more than 150 students, mostly from Dhaka University, were injured in sporadic battles with police.

Classes and exams at the 40,000-student school have remained suspended since then, with students across Bangladesh calling for a countrywide strike.

The army-backed interim government withdrew the offending army camp on Tuesday night and promised to punish those responsible for starting the violence.

But the students have refused to be appeased, and gained backing from political parties who called for an immediate end of the nationwide ban on political activity imposed by the interim government after it took charge.

Political analysts fear the student protest may pose a serious challenge to the army-backed government, which plans to hold a free and fair election late next year.

In the run up to the polls, the government has launched a massive crackdown on corrupt politicians, in which more than 170 key political figures have been detained.

(Additional reporting by Azad Majumder)