DHAKA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- One medical college in Bangladesh's southern Barisal district was closed Friday indefinitely following clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of ruling Awamil League.

    Meanwhile, students of all the five hostels in Sher-e-Bangla (tiger of Bangla) Medical College (SBMC) -- three of male and two of female -- left their dormitories Friday morning following an order by the college authorities, private news agency UNB reported.

    SBMC Principal Abu Taher was quoted as saying the order of closure of the college and vacating the halls was issued to avoid untoward incidents.

    All examinations of the college were postponed until further notice, he said.

    The college authorities would form a probe committee in this connection on the next working day.

    Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have been deployed on the campus to avert further trouble.

    Students and college sources were quoted as saying two groups of BCL first locked into a clash at about 9 p.m. on Thursday over establishing supremacy in the campus.

    Later, outsiders joined the clash that lasted for about four hours, leaving several people injured.

    The feuding groups also ransacked eight rooms and the college library.

    In the wake of the rampage, the college authorities have called in RAB and police forces to restore normalcy on the campus.

    Since Awami League-led alliance government took office in January, campus clashes have become rampant mainly between factions of BCL. The clashes have left at least 3 students killed, hundreds injured and 8 universities or colleges closed.

    Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina early this month asked police to crackdown on student activists engaged in violent clashes at different educational institutions.

    She also decided to quit the post of chief patron of BCL, in the wake of growing violence on campuses across the country.