Police today quelled a violent protest of privately-run North South University (NSU) students, carried out in protest to physical assault on one of the students last night.

- Pragati Sarani blocked for 2 hours

- Bashundhara office vandalised

- Tear gas canisters lobbed, cops give a chase

Wielding banners and chanting slogans, hundreds of students blocked the Pragati Sarani around 10:30am –halting traffic on both ends and causing a long tailback.

Last night, a BBA student of North South University, was assaulted by security guards of Bashundhara Group, Belal Ahmed, deputy director of the university’s Public Relation Office.

In protest, the students took to the streets this morning demanding an apology from Bashundhara security guards, a third-year student of the university told The Daily Star seeking anonymity.

The students occupied the thoroughfare for about two hours before police pushed them inside Bashundhara residential area. There, the students vandalised the Bashundhara head office.

Police used two tear gas canisters to push the students back. A water cannon was kept at the ready.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Gulshan zone Deputy Commissioner Mostaque Ahmed Khan told The Daily Star at spot that the situation was under control of the police.

Citing various sources, Belal Ahmed of NSU’s public relation office, said that last night a student of his university was assaulted by some security guards over a trifling matter of motorcycle parking.

“The student was on his motorcycle when something fell out of his pocket. Noticing a guard on the spot, the student told him he would stop his motorbike for a few seconds only to pick up his stuff,” he said.

“The security guard then beat up the student for parking in a ‘no parking’ space. Later, over a dozen guards joined him in the assault,” he told.

At one stage, some of the NSU students rushed to the spot and tried to save him resulting in a scuffle.