Rajshahi:A five-member committee has been established to investigate an attack on journalists allegedly carried out by activists of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) on the university campus.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the university administration is preparing to file a case with Motihar Police Station. The attack, which occurred on Sunday around 8:30 pm in front of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall, resulted in injuries to ten people, including four journalists.
Witnesses reported that JCD leaders and activists arrived at the hall gate from the university's Transport Market, allegedly intending to attack the hall students' union general secretary, Ariful Islam. The activists were reportedly armed with locally made weapons such as machetes, cleavers, hockey sticks, pipes, and baseball bats. When the university proctor appeared at the scene, the activists hid their weapons. Journalists attempting to document the situation were subsequently attacked.
One journalist from Samakal was beaten with sticks in the presence of the proctor, and there was an attempt to seize the mobile phone of a correspondent from Ajker Patrika. A bdnews24.com correspondent was also allegedly assaulted. The proctor then took the journalists inside the hall for safety.
Additional journalists who arrived later, including correspondents from The Daily Star and Agamir Shomoy, were also attacked, with Zahidul Islam sustaining a head injury. The incident reportedly originated from a dispute over comments made by JCD leader Ahsan Habib on a Facebook post about Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU) GS Salahuddin Ammar.
University Proctor Mahbubur Rahman admitted to the failure in controlling the situation, noting that even the police fled in fear. JCD Rajshahi University unit President Sultan Ahmed Rahi has informed the central committee about the incident, promising action against those responsible.
Journalists staged a protest demanding action against the perpetrators, the cancellation of studentship and revocation of certificates for those involved, and a ban on campus entry for non-student offenders. They called off their protest following assurances from the university administration that a case would be filed by Monday.
Allegations have surfaced regarding the deletion of CCTV footage from the attack site. The JCD unit on campus and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall Provost Dr. Mahbubur Rahman have been accused of involvement in deleting the footage. However, the provost denied these claims, attributing the lack of footage to a disconnected CCTV connection due to renovation work.
University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Dr. Abdul Alim stated that necessary information had been preserved and that the investigation committee is gathering information. He declined to comment further on the allegations related to the CCTV footage.