Rajshahi University students assaulted by student leaders in campus library after political tagging
Photo Collected
Three students at Rajshahi University were subjected to multiple rounds of violent assaults by members of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RAKSU) and the local branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir on Monday. The victims—Anas, Hasib, and Mahmudul Hasan—were attacked first at the proctor’s office and later inside the university’s central library reading room.
The tension originated from a complaint filed Sunday evening by a female student in the Sanskrit department, who reported that a fellow student, Mohsin Alam, had been harassing her and threatening her after she rejected his romantic advances. On Sunday night, University Proctor Professor Mahbubur Rahman convened a meeting to address the complaint. During the session, the three victims, who were present to support Mohsin, reportedly engaged in a heated argument with the proctor.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The situation escalated Monday afternoon during a follow-up meeting at the proctor’s office. RAKSU General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar and other leaders accused Anas of being associated with the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League. After finding photographs of Anas with Chhatra League members on his mobile device, RAKSU leaders reportedly assaulted him. Although the incident was briefly mediated, violence broke out again at approximately 3:00 p.m. at the RAKSU building, where the three students allegedly confronted RAKSU leaders, resulting in an injury to information secretary B.M. Nazmus Sakib.
The conflict then shifted to the central library, where the three victims had sought refuge. Eyewitnesses reported that RAKSU and Chhatra Shibir members stormed the reading room, attacking the students with sticks, bamboo, metal rods, and belts. Students studying in the library were also caught in the fray and assaulted when they attempted to intervene.
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Proctorial body members and police eventually intervened to restore order. Video footage of the incident surfaced showing RAKSU General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar wielding a shovel and a large wooden stick while participating in the attacks. The victims were eventually removed from the premises, with Shibir and RAKSU members chanting slogans against the Chhatra League as they later gathered at the administration building to demand official action against those they labeled as militants.
Anas, one of the victims, denied being a Chhatra League member, asserting that he was targeted due to old photographs. Conversely, Salahuddin Ammar defended the actions of his group, claiming they were attempting to hand over “Chhatra League operatives” to the police and that the victims had instigated the violence by attacking RAKSU representatives. While university-level Shibir leadership denied organizational involvement, several members identified as Shibir-affiliated were captured on video participating in the violence.
Proctor Mahbubur Rahman confirmed that police have arrested two individuals, Anas and Hasan, in connection with their alleged Chhatra League ties. University administration officials, including Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Abdul Alim, have condemned the violence and announced the formation of an investigative committee to hold those responsible accountable under university regulations. Meanwhile, the campus remains under high security as the university administration works to restore order and address the grievances raised by the various student factions.
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