Rajshahi University Forms Investigation Committee Following Campus Violence

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Rajshahi University administration has established a five-member committee to investigate a series of violent clashes and physical assaults that recently roiled the campus. The committee, tasked with submitting a comprehensive report within ten working days, was announced Tuesday via a statement from the university’s public relations office.

The probe body is headed by Professor Rezaul Karim of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He is joined by faculty members Golam Sadiq, Asadul Haque, Ariful Islam, and A. Naim Faruki.

The unrest follows a dispute involving a female student from the Sanskrit department, who accused a classmate, Mohsin Alam, of threatening her after she rejected his romantic advances. Tensions escalated on Sunday night during a meeting at the proctor’s office, where supporters of the accused engaged in a heated argument with officials. The situation deteriorated on Monday when students alleged that three individuals associated with the banned organization Bangladesh Chhatra League were beaten by opposing groups, leading to recurring skirmishes near the university’s central library and the student union building, RAKSU.

In the wake of the violence, the central library’s reading room remained closed until Tuesday afternoon. It was reopened following pressure from students, who demanded a transparent investigation and that the committee record statements from witnesses present during the incidents.

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Professor Karim noted that the committee has initiated its work by inspecting the library and plans to visit the RAKSU building and the proctor’s office next. Identifying the perpetrators presents a challenge, as the library’s CCTV system was non-operational due to ongoing renovation work. Consequently, the committee intends to rely on video footage captured by students and media outlets to identify those responsible for the violence.

Legal action has already been taken against two of the students who were assaulted during the clashes. According to university sources, Anas and Hasib have been arrested in connection with a case regarding the “terrorist activities” of the now-banned Chhatra League.