A campus correspondent for Channel 14, Asadul Alam, was physically assaulted and subsequently handed over to the police on Tuesday night following a mob incident at Jahangirnagar University.
The incident unfolded inside Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, where Mr Alam was staying in his dormitory room. According to eyewitnesses and university sources, an aggressive group of students forcibly entered his premises. Allegations have surfaced that members affiliated with Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir led the group. The intruders assaulted the journalist and deliberately vandalised his personal belongings, including his mobile phone and laptop.
The assailants justified the attack by accusing Mr Alam of holding links to Chhatra League, the student wing of the former ruling party. Following the physical altercation, the group forcibly escorted him out of the residential hall and transferred custody to officers from the Ashulia Police Station.
Police sources indicated that authorities are preparing to charge Mr Alam under the Cyber Security Act. However, at the time of reporting, official confirmation regarding the formal filing of the case remains unverified. Neither the Jahangirnagar University administration nor the Tajuddin Ahmad Hall authorities have issued a statement regarding the security breach within the residential hall or the subsequent arrest.
This incident underscores a turbulent period across Bangladeshi university campuses, where extrajudicial student actions and mob violence have increasingly targeted individuals accused of past political affiliations. The breakdown of law and order within residential halls has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates and student rights organisations, who argue that campus administrations are failing to guarantee basic safety for residents.
The violence directed at a media professional, alongside the destruction of work equipment and swift police detention without transparent charges, has sparked serious concern regarding press freedom and academic security. Various student factions and media bodies have demanded an immediate, impartial investigation into the assault and urged legal accountability for those involved in the violence.
