Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its associate bodies escorted Rajshahi Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Jawadul Haque from his Upashahar residence to the temporary campus of the university on Thursday (today) morning around 11:00 am. The development comes in the wake of an ongoing police investigation into recent unrest at the institution, which also saw local leaders from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and Ulema Dal visit the temporary campus.
Earlier in the morning at approximately 10:30 am, a delegation of BNP leaders including Rajshahi Metropolitan BNP Vice-President Zainal Abedin, Metropolitan Swechchhasebak Dal General Secretary Asaduzzaman Joni, and Metropolitan Jubo Dal Convenor Shariful Islam met the Vice-Chancellor at his residence. Addressing reporters, Shariful Islam stated that several leaders and activists from the party and its affiliate organizations had been implicated in the unpleasant incident that occurred a few days prior. He emphasized that punitive measures would be implemented against those found culpable, adding that they escorted the Vice-Chancellor to his office in alignment with directives from the central leadership.
Chancellor's office was unlocked on Thursday morning under the supervision of District Administration Executive Magistrate Arif Hossain. Authorities subsequently handed over the room to the investigating officer of the case, who collected crucial forensic evidence from the scene. Magistrate Arif Hossain briefed the media that their primary mandate was to unlock the chamber, hand it over to the investigating officer, and maintain strict law and order on the premises.
The unfolding events stem from an incident on Tuesday, when miscreants reportedly stormed the temporary campus office and coerced the Vice-Chancellor into signing a document without allowing him to review its contents. According to the Vice-Chancellor's account, he was compelled to execute the signature under extreme duress out of fear of physical assault, following which he was forcefully ejected from his office. The assailants allegedly plundered his mobile phone and laptop, dismantled the central processing unit (CPU) and hard disk of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system, and padlocked multiple rooms.
A formal case was subsequently filed at Rajpara Police Station, naming 50 to 60 unidentified individuals. With the fresh arrest of Ali Akbar Hossain, 30, and Delwar Hossain from the Baharampur intersection area of the city, the total number of arrests in connection with the case reached three as of Thursday morning. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner of Police for Media, Md. Gaziur Rahman, stated that law enforcement has successfully identified several additional suspects through the analysis of video footage and photographs, and operations are underway to apprehend them.
