Video footage of an attack on journalists and students at Rajshahi University has shown the apparent direct involvement of at least six office-bearers of the university unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Dal, along with a former activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The attack, involving locally made weapons, took place in front of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall on Sunday evening. At least 10 people, including several journalists, were injured. Anger has grown on campus because, despite video footage appearing to show several of those involved, the case filed by the university administration names the accused only as unidentified individuals.
A review of the footage shows university Chhatra Dal vice-president Ahsan Habib and joint general secretary Hasibul Islam Hasib among those directly participating in, and allegedly leading, the assault. Habib is from the Law Department’s 2013–14 academic session, while Hasib is from the History Department’s 2017–18 session.
The footage also shows Bishal Chakraborty, a former Chhatra League activist and former Economics Department student, striking Noor Ehsan Mridul, a university correspondent, with a stick.
Four other Chhatra Dal office-bearers are also visible in the footage taking part in the assault. They are vice-president Shariful Islam, vice-president Takbir Hasan Emon, assistant general secretary Syed Sajharul Islam Saju, and assistant office secretary Shahriar Alam Athi.
Shariful Islam belongs to the Anthropology Department’s 2013–14 session, while Emon is from the Institute of Business Administration’s 2017–18 session. Saju is from the Management Department’s 2019–20 session and Athi from the Music Department’s 2019–20 session.
Several of the Chhatra Dal leaders identified in the footage have previously faced allegations of involvement in extortion and other misconduct. On 19 October 2024, Ahsan Habib and Hasibul Islam Hasib were initially suspended and later expelled from the organisation over allegations of extortion. Their expulsions were subsequently withdrawn, and when a new committee was announced in August 2025, the two were appointed vice-president and joint general secretary respectively.
On 24 June, allegations of extortion were again brought against the pair in Budhpara, an area near the university. A student who claimed to have been affected submitted written complaints to the university proctor’s office and Motihar police station.
Takbir Hasan Emon and Syed Sajharul Islam Saju have also faced allegations dating from December 2024. They were accused of assaulting two Chhatra League activists, intimidating them and collecting Tk10,100 through digital means.
The latest incident has raised wider questions about security on the university campus and the response of the administration. Around 1.30am after the attack, angry journalists and students kept Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Dr Mamunur Rashid and other senior university officials confined for several hours inside the office of the provost of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall.
The protesters demanded that those allegedly involved be named in the case, that the students involved face cancellation of their student status and that certificates issued to former students involved in the incident be revoked. They also called for restrictions on the entry of outsiders into the campus and demanded the resignation of the proctor and the relevant hall provost, alleging failure to ensure students’ safety.
Following assurances from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Registrar of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall Monir Hossain filed a case at Motihar police station on Monday. The case, however, lists the accused as unidentified rather than naming the individuals shown in the footage.
Explaining the decision, hall provost Professor Mahbubur Rahman said the video could provide indications about the identities of the attackers, but specific individuals or political organisations could not be named in a case without legally established evidence. He said their affiliation with Chhatra Dal would have to be formally established through an investigation before their organisational identity could be included.
The university’s proctor, Professor Mahbubur Rahman, acknowledged shortcomings in the administration’s response during the attack. He said the authorities had failed to control the situation and that police were called but later withdrew after becoming frightened by the circumstances.
Questions have also been raised over the availability of CCTV footage from the hall following the incident. The hall provost denied allegations that recordings had been removed. According to him, the CCTV system had already been disconnected because of ongoing renovation work, meaning no footage could be recorded during the attack.
The assault took place at around 8.30pm on Sunday in front of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall, where a group carrying locally made weapons attacked journalists and students. Among those injured were Noor Ehsan Mridul, Jahidul Islam, Arifuzzaman Qurban and Mainul Islam Raju, along with other students and journalists.
The video evidence has now become a central element in the controversy surrounding the case. While footage appears to show several individuals taking part in the violence, the decision to file the case against unidentified persons has prompted calls for a transparent investigation and accountability over both the attack and the university administration’s handling of the incident.
