Police rescue Eden College Principal

Dhaka, Sep 27 Police rescued in the wee hours of Thursday Eden Girls' College Principal Rawshan Ara who was besieged by her students after she allegedly ordered male employees to attack them.

The rescue was pulled off around 1:30am after the Principal pledged to convey to the higher authorities the students' demand for uninterrupted accommodation in the dormitory, Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Lalbagh Zone Deputy Commissioner Harun-or-Rashid told bdnews24.com.

Rawshan Ara, however, told reporters after the rescue that the college was in no position to do so.

"I've told them that we'll discuss their demand with the National University," she said.

Earlier at around 12:15am, the law enforcers entered the college compound at Azimpur to get things under control.

Three platoons of police were despatched to the college, according to Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Lalbagh Zone Rezaul Haque.

The law enforcers gathered in front of the college after 10pm on Wednesday following vandalism by the students, who continued their protests after the police came in.

The siege and the rampage had taken place in the morning of Wednesday and continued until midnight. Signs of vandalism inside the college were visible from the outside. The students vandalised cars of the teachers, too.

Principal Ara, however, refuted the allegation of ordering the attack on the students by male employees.

"The students have confined me and some other teachers," she had told bdnews24.com just before midnight.

According to the rules, a student loses her seat in the dormitory after her Honours examination and needs to apply for a new seat when she gets admitted to a post-graduate course.

Between the time of admission in the post-graduate course and the completion of Honours examination, the students face problems with accommodation.

One of the students, requesting anonymity, said they have long been demanding the opportunity to keep the seat. "But the administration did not pay any heed," she said.

"When we pressed for our demand in the morning, the employees attacked us," she added.

The Principal, however, had said the 'irrational' demand was impossible to meet.

Asked about the attack, she said, "I don't know of any such incident."

"But if any employee attacked the students, he will face action after investigation," she added.