Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) was closed today till May 30 following clashes between two groups of students on the campus this afternoon.

The students have vacated the dormitories by this evening as per the orders issued by the KUET authorities.

A notification issued by the KUET says that the closure of the university from May 4 to May 30 will be adjusted against the summer vacation which was originally scheduled from May 31 to June 14.

According to sources, the clash which took place between the students of the civil engineering department of KUET and those of other departments led by the electrical faculty left about 25 men wounded. The injured included three media persons.

The media men who were manhandled by the students of the electrical faculty were: Kanak Rahman of the daily Samakal, Rana Kabir of local daily Purbanchal and cameraman Haider Ali of TV Channel - 1. The students used filthy language against the newsmen who were beaten for 'their presence on the campus to cover the events'.

Kanak and Rana Kabir were kept confined by some students in a room of Dr MA Rashid Hall for about half an hour till they were rescued by a police team.

Today's violent incident came as a sequel to last evening's happening in which some students of the civil engineering department foiled a cultural function organised by the electrical engineering department.

Sources said, trouble flared up today when the students of the civil engineering department attacked the students of other departments who were demonstrating for action against the students of the civil department involved in foiling their cultural function last evening.

Police charged baton on the clashing parties and fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse them.

The main gate of the campus was put under lock and key by two student leaders of KUET for several hours in the afternoon to control the entry and exit of the people.