A demonstration carried out by East West University students protesting VAT imposition on tuition fees has led to clashes between police and students.

Police reportedly baton charged and opened fire on the students leaving about 30 people injured.

Traffic movement on Rampura Bridge road in the city was disrupted for half an hour on Wednesday when agitated students blocked the road.

Witnesses said the EWU students took to the streets near Rampura Bridge at about 2:00pm protesting the government’s move to impose 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of the private universities.

A clash broke out when police tried to disperse them to restore traffic movement, said Badda police officer-in-charge Abdul Jalil.

Police claimed to have been pelted with stones and brick chips by the students who in their turn alleged that the law enforcers opened fire on them.

Students also claimed that a teacher of the university had been shot, an allegation that police denied saying they only fired rubber bullets in the air to disperse the protesters.

Of the injured, some students and a teacher were taken to the nearby Banasri Farayezi Hospital where officials said most of the injured had splinters in their body.

‘We treated some 17-18 East West University. Some of them were sent to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as their condition was critical,’ said Atiqul Islam Shimul, the hospital’s administrative officer.

On 4 July, the NBR issued a notification about the imposition of 7.5 percent VAT on the tuition fees of private universities and medical colleges.