The factional clash triggered panic among the general students and teachers of the university.

Ashraful Haq Shanto, a second-year student of philosophy and a resident student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib (BSM) hall, was taken into Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) with bullet wounds in his right thigh. Five others were admitted to Enam Medical College and Hospital at Savar. The other 20 received first aid at the University Medical Centre.

The clash erupted when a group of some 50 activists loyal to the JU unit president and general secretary attacked the JCD workers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib (BSM) Hall at Social Science Faculty around 11:30am after they had tried to stop the group from going on the rampage at the Urban and Regional Planning (URP) Department.

The clash left Imran, Shakil, Mukta, Mamun, Imrul, Roni, Premangsu, Rezwan, Zia, Johnny, Shaikat and Zoha of BSM Hall injured. Imran was rushed to DMCH with severe head injuries and later to the intensive care unit at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital.

The president and general secretary-backed JCD cadres went on the rampage at the URP Department as a teacher there did not let them enter the class to greet the freshers of the 34th batch at 11:15am when a departmental orientation was being held, witnesses said.

In retaliation, the JCD activists of BSM Hall attacked Alhaj and Imrul, two activists of the president- and general secretary-led group, at Bottola around 12:45pm.

To avenge the attack, around 50 cadres of that group armed with light machine guns, light guns, pipe guns, shot guns, hockey sticks and rods attacked the BSM Hall. They fired around 20/25 blank shots before the proctor and a huge battalion of police in a bid to capture it at around 1:00pm, the witnesses said.

Robi, organising secretary of JCD's JU unit, fired at Shanto's right thigh and beat up another six activists of the hall.

"The attack was launched to drive out of the campus some trouble-makers staying at the hall," said Parvez Mallik, the JCD unit president.

Declining to comment on the reason of the attack, General Secretary Nazmul Hasan Avi said the firing did not take place 'before me'.

"This is gross indiscipline that cannot be tolerated. Necessary steps will be taken to identify and punish those responsible for the incident," said Vice-chancellor Prof Khandaker Mustahidur Rahman. "I did not here any sound of firing," he added.

Situation was tense on the campus and about 200 policemen were deployed at several points on the campus to avert further violence.