Our Correspondent

CHITTAGONG, Oct 24: Chittagong Medical College was closed sine die following clashes Saturday afternoon between activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Islami Chhatra Shibir over domination on the campus.

The college authority has suspended all classes for an indefinite period and directed all resident male students to vacate their hos

tel rooms within 8:00pm today and female students within 8:00am Sunday.

A group of unruly students set as many as 15 rooms of the main male hostel on fire and vandalised about 50 rooms of the dormitory. The police used batons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the vandals.

Principal of the college Dr Gofranul Huq said members of both Shibir and BCL resorted to clashes over greeting the new entrants at around 3:30pm.

After the BCL activists brought out a procession welcoming the freshers on the campus at around 11:00am, some non-student youths brought out a counter procession chanting slogans against the BCL that triggered the clashes, eye-witnesses said.

Udayan Barua, officer-in-charge of Panchlaish police station said the situation was under control.

However, the Shibir activists have taken up position at the Chittagong College north-west gate, while the BCL supporters have assembled around Gulzar shopping complex near Chawkbazar, police sources said.