Police clash with Dhaka students

The protests started after a police raid on the campus

Police in Bangladesh have used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protesting students at Dhaka University.

Police fired at least 100 rounds of teargas shells... and even kicked students who refused to disperse

Eyewitness

More than a dozen students were injured in the clashes, and about 25 others are reported to have been arrested.

The students were demonstrating against a decision by the authorities to close the university indefinitely following several days of unrest.

Hundreds of police and paramilitary troops have taken up positions on the campus after the students were ordered to leave their dormitories on Saturday.

Some 500 students refused to leave

"Police fired at least 100 rounds of teargas shells, used batons and even kicked students who refused to disperse," Reuters quoted one eyewitness as saying after Monday's clashes.

Political parties allied to the students have called a half-day general strike in the capital on Monday to protest at alleged police brutality on the campus.

A full day's countrywide general strike is planned for Tuesday.

Correspondents say the action will embarrass the government because the three-day visit of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, which begins on Monday, will take place while much of Bangladesh is at a standstill.

Police raid

The student action began after a pre-dawn raid last Wednesday on the women's dormitory on the campus, which many argue was carried out at the behest of the university's politically-appointed management.

Officers allegedly beat the women and arrested 18 of them.

The police said they were asked to invervene by the university authorities to resolve an internal political dispute.

The students say they will not stop protesting until the man who authorised the police action - Vice-Chancellor Anwarullah Chowdhury - is removed from his post.

A group of about 70 university teachers have said that they will support the students in their protest.

The government says the incident was "unfortunate", and has ordered an inquiry.