Rajshahi University Teachers’ Network Raises Concern Over Violence Allegations

The Rajshahi University Teachers’ Network has expressed concern over a series of allegations involving Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RACSU) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar and several leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir. The allegations include repeated assaults on three students, harassment and intimidation based on political identity, labelling students according to their affiliations, and attempts to take the law into one’s own hands.

The organisation raised the concerns in a statement sent to the media on Wednesday afternoon. A copy of the statement was also submitted to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, with a demand for effective action over the allegations.

According to the statement, Salauddin Ammar and Shibir leaders and activists were allegedly involved in repeatedly assaulting three students on Monday. The Teachers’ Network claimed that two of the injured students were subsequently shown as arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act and sent to jail. The statement, however, did not include comments from the individuals named in the allegations or a separate explanation from the police.

The Teachers’ Network argued that the incident should not be treated simply as an isolated episode of violence on a university campus. Allegations that an injured person was assaulted after being taken down from an ambulance, as well as incidents allegedly occurring around the proctor’s office and the central library, have raised serious questions about security, the academic environment and the rule of law at the university, the organisation said.

It stressed that neither a student organisation nor any political group or individual has the authority to investigate or punish someone accused of wrongdoing. Establishing the truth of an allegation and taking appropriate legal action are responsibilities that rest with the university administration and the law enforcement agencies.

According to the Teachers’ Network, allowing individuals or groups to administer their own form of justice undermines fundamental principles of due process and could create a dangerous precedent. If allegations are not dealt with through established procedures, disputes on campus may escalate into further confrontation and violence.

The statement also raised concerns over the alleged practice of identifying and ‘tagging’ students on the basis of their political affiliations, allegedly placing them under pressure and creating circumstances resembling mob justice. The organisation said there was a risk that practices involving political labelling, harassment and abuse—criticised during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina’s government—could re-emerge under different political identities in the country’s changing political environment.

The role and responsibilities of RACSU also came under scrutiny. The Teachers’ Network said the student union was established to protect students’ rights, promote their welfare and contribute to a safe and education-friendly environment on campus. Yet, according to the statement, allegations have emerged at different times accusing the RACSU general secretary and his associates of involvement in various activities that allegedly fell outside the law.

The allegations cited in the statement include making provocative remarks, surrounding administrative buildings, harassing teachers and officials perceived as supporters of the Awami League, and locking the office of the Vice-Chancellor. It also referred to allegations involving an anti-drug operation carried out while carrying sticks, the alleged harassment of the then Pro-Vice-Chancellor during a movement over the quota system for university employees’ dependants, and claims of provocative roles by the RACSU general secretary and vice-president in connection with attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.

However, the Teachers’ Network statement did not clarify whether the individuals concerned had been given an opportunity to respond separately to each of these allegations. The claims therefore require independent verification and a fair investigation before any definitive conclusion can be reached.

The organisation maintained that a university is fundamentally a place for learning, research, intellectual exchange and the free expression of ideas. Physical violence, harassment or collective punishment cannot be accepted as a means of resolving political disagreements or allegations against individuals, it said.

It called for investigations to be conducted impartially and decisions to be based on evidence. While anyone facing allegations should have the opportunity to defend themselves, the safety of those who claim to have been victimised and their access to justice must also be protected, it added.

The Teachers’ Network urged the authorities to take action against those found responsible in accordance with existing laws and university regulations. It also called on the university administration to take a firm position to ensure that no student organisation or political group can assume the role of a law enforcement agency or establish itself as an alternative system of justice on campus.

The statement has renewed discussion at Rajshahi University about campus security, the rule of law, student politics and the responsibilities of elected student representatives. The university administration and relevant law enforcement agencies are now expected to clarify the allegations through formal statements and impartial investigations. Such steps will be essential to establish the facts, protect students’ rights and prevent further tensions on campus.