2 students assaulted by Ammar and Shibir arrested, justice over ‘mob’ demanded

Police have arrested two of the three students who were allegedly assaulted by leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, including Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU) General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar, at Rajshahi University. Police showed them arrested in a case relating to the "terrorist activities" of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Meanwhile, several student organisations on campus have described the assaults on students at the Proctor's Office and the Central Library as "mob violence" and have demanded justice.

The two arrested students are Md Anas and Mahmudul Hasan, both from the 2017–18 academic session of the Department of History. Police from Motihar police station arrested them on Monday night.

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motihar police station, Mohammad Golam Kabir, told Prothom Alo on Tuesday morning that police had shown the two students arrested in a previously filed case concerning the terrorist activities of Bangladesh Chhatra League. He said they are currently receiving medical treatment and that authorities are taking steps to send them to jail through the court.

According to university sources, the Proctor's Office held a meeting on Sunday night following a complaint by a female student from the Department of Sanskrit. She alleged that Mohsin Alam, a student from the same department, had proposed a romantic relationship to her and, after she rejected the proposal, threatened and intimidated her, telling her to leave the campus.

Anas, Hasib and Mahmudul Hasan attended the meeting in support of the accused student. During the meeting, they became involved in a heated argument with the Proctor.

Another meeting took place on Monday afternoon regarding the matter. During the meeting, RUCSU General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar and several other leaders claimed that Anas was an activist of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League.

They allegedly showed photographs from his mobile phone featuring several Chhatra League leaders before assaulting him. After the situation calmed, everyone left the Proctor's Office.

Allegations later emerged that Anas, Hasib, Mahmudul and several others went to the RUCSU building and attacked Salahuddin Ammar and RUCSU Information and Research Secretary BM Nazmus Sakib. Nazmus Sakib sustained injuries in the attack.

Later, Anas, Hasib and Mahmudul gathered in front of the reading room of the Central Library. There, they became involved in an altercation with RUCSU and Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists, during which both sides allegedly threw bricks and stones. They eventually took shelter inside the reading room.

Allegations state that RUCSU and Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists entered the reading room and assaulted them. Several general students also sustained injuries while trying to stop the attack.

Further allegations claim that the attackers assaulted the injured students again while others were taking them to hospital. Members of the Proctorial body, university teachers, police and students later brought the situation under control.

Following these incidents, RUCSU and Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders and activists staged a demonstration in front of the Administration Building, demanding action against students allegedly associated with Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Later, during a meeting with the university administration, participants decided to arrest students linked to Bangladesh Chhatra League and form an impartial committee to investigate the assault allegations.

Meanwhile, the Gonotantrik Chhatra Jote issued a statement on Monday night describing the assaults on students at the Proctor's Office and the Central Library as "mob violence" and demanding a fair investigation and justice. The organisation also called for an impartial inquiry into the alleged attack at the RUCSU building.

In another statement signed by Nasim Sarkar, convener of Chhatra Moncho, the organisation said that entering the Central Library and publicly assaulting students instead of placing the accused under due legal process was incompatible with the environment of a democratic university.

The statement added that the incident had created fear among ordinary students and disrupted the normal academic atmosphere.

The organisation put forward two demands: first, an impartial investigation into both the attack at the RUCSU building and the "mob violence" against students, followed by appropriate punishment for those responsible; and second, the restoration of student safety and a normal academic environment across the campus, including the Central Library.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of the university unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal staged a demonstration in front of the Administration Building on Monday, demanding punishment for those involved in the assaults.

The organisation's president, Sultan Ahmed, said, "By assaulting students without regard for the university administration, they (Islami Chhatra Shibir) seek to create anarchy on campus. Our clear demand is that the authorities must conduct a proper investigation and bring every person responsible under punishment, so that no hypocritical organisation can use a 'mob' to endanger the safety of any student in this manner."