Rajshahi University police arrest two students following campus mob violence and clash involving student factions
Photo Collected
Police in Rajshahi have arrested two students of Rajshahi University in connection with a case involving the banned organization Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). The arrests follow a violent confrontation on campus that saw several students, including Chhatra Shibir leaders, beaten in incidents at the university’s proctor office and central library.
The detainees, identified as Md. Anas and Mahmudul Hasan, both students of the History department, are currently receiving medical treatment. According to Mohammad Golam Kabir, officer-in-charge of Motihar Police Station, the two were formally arrested under a pre-existing case regarding the “terrorist activities” of the BCL. Authorities are currently processing their transfer to jail via the court.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The volatility began on Sunday evening during a meeting at the proctor’s office concerning a harassment complaint filed by a Sanskrit department student. The student alleged that a classmate had threatened her after she rejected his romantic advances. During the meeting, tensions escalated between university officials and a group of students—including the two eventually arrested—who were accused of supporting the accused individual and maintaining ties to the banned BCL.
The situation intensified on Monday when RAKSU General Secretary Salauddin Ammar and other student leaders confronted Anas, claiming to have found photographic evidence on his phone linking him to BCL leadership. This verbal altercation preceded a physical clash at the RAKSU building, where B. M. Nazmus Sakib, the RAKSU information and research secretary, was injured.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Violence later spilled into the university’s central library, where the accused students sought refuge. Reports indicate that Shibir-affiliated students and others entered the library and beat the trio. Several bystanders attempting to intervene were also injured during the chaos. University proctorial staff, faculty, and police were required to restore order to the campus.
In the aftermath, various student organizations, including the Democratic Student Alliance, have condemned the incidents, labeling the violence inside the library as an act of “mob terrorism.” In a statement, the Alliance’s convenor, Nasim Sarkar, argued that while accountability is necessary, extrajudicial mob violence inside a library destroys the academic environment and creates widespread fear. The group has demanded a neutral investigation into both the RAKSU building assault and the subsequent library attacks.
The university administration has since held meetings with student factions, pledging to form an independent committee to investigate the violence. Meanwhile, political student organizations, including the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, have staged protests, accusing certain factions of attempting to create anarchy on campus by bypassing university governance to enforce their own version of justice. University officials have reiterated their commitment to restoring security and ensuring the rule of law within the campus.
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