Leaders and activists of the university unit of Chhatra Dal attacked journalists and students at Rajshahi University (RU) with locally made weapons. At least 10 people were injured, including four journalists who sustained serious injuries. Four of the injured journalists were taken to the university medical centre for treatment.
The incident took place in front of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall on the university campus at around 8:30pm today, Sunday.
The seriously injured journalists are Jahidul Islam, correspondent of Agamir Shomoy; Nur Ahsan Mridul, correspondent of The Daily Star; Arifuzzaman Qurban, university correspondent of bdnews24.com; and Mainul Islam Raju, correspondent of Samakal. Several other journalists were also injured.
The attackers were university unit Chhatra Dal Vice-President Ahsan Habib, Joint General Secretary Hasibul Islam, Chhatra Dal Vice-President Shariful Islam, and Assistant Office Secretary Shahriar Alam. Eyewitnesses said at least 10 Chhatra Dal leaders and activists took part in the attack.
Speaking to eyewitnesses and journalists present at the scene, it was learned that Chhatra Dal leaders and activists came in a procession from the university Transport Market to the front of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall around 8pm. They had come there with the intention of beating up Hall Students' Union GS Ariful Islam. Some of them were seen carrying various locally made weapons, including ramdas, machetes, hockey sticks, pipes and baseball bats.
Eyewitnesses said that when Proctor Mahbubur Rahman arrived at the scene after receiving the news, the Chhatra Dal leaders and activists hid the weapons.
Later, when university correspondents of Samakal and Ajker Patrika moved forward to record video after seeing weapons in their hands, the Samakal correspondent was beaten with a stick.
An attempt was also made to snatch the mobile phone of the Ajker Patrika correspondent. At one point, the bdnews24.com correspondent was also beaten. Later, the proctor took the journalists inside the hall and closed the door.
After other journalists went to the scene upon hearing about the attack on journalists, The Daily Star correspondent Nur Ahsan Mridul and Agamir Shomoy correspondent Jahidul Islam were beaten, it was alleged. Jahidul suffered a head injury. In addition, when other journalists stepped forward to protect them, they were threatened with being buried.
Regarding the incident, university unit Chhatra Dal President Sultan Ahmed Rahi said, “I have informed the central Chhatra Dal about the matter. Action will be taken against them soon.”
University Proctor Mahbubur Rahman said, “We have failed. We could not control the situation. We called the police. But the police also fled in fear.”
According to university sources, the incident began over a comment on a Facebook post by Chhatra Dal leader M Ahsan Habib concerning RAKSU GS Salahuddin Ammar.
Ahsan Habib alleged that RAKSU Assistant Cultural Secretary Rakibul Islam abused his mother and sister in a comment on the post. Rakibul, on the other hand, claimed that Ahsan Habib had threatened to beat him and asked about his whereabouts. Later, both of them made separate posts on social media stating their respective positions.
Rakibul remained in front of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall from 10am to 5pm on Saturday. Later, at 5:54pm, Ahsan Habib took position there. At the time, several Chhatra Dal leaders and activists accompanying him were seen carrying baseball bats. They announced that they would remain there until 10pm.
Criticising the Chhatra Dal's sit-in, Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall Students' Union GS Ariful Islam wrote in a Facebook post, “Tarique Rahman's golden boys have stopped extortion and are carrying locally made weapons to carry out terrorist activities on campus.”
After this, allegations arose that Chhatra Dal leaders and activists took position in front of Shahid Ziaur Rahman Hall with various locally made weapons, including rods, pipes and machetes. The attack on journalists then took place there.