Police Friday detained 20 students, in connection with severing the tendons of hand and leg of Touhid-al-Hossain Tuhin, general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Rajshahi University (RU) unit, a crime allegedly committed by Islami Chhatra Shibir men on Thursday.
Police conducted several raids at messes and dormitories adjacent to RU at Meherchandi, Budhara, Kajla and Minodepur area from early Friday morning to afternoon, and picked up the suspects. They are being interrogated at the Motihar thana.
SM Abdus Sobhan, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motihar police station informed that a night-long drive by police apprehended 15 suspected miscreants involved in attacking Tuhin, while five more suspects were picked up Friday morning.
The tendons of the BCL leader were severed on Thursday night, allegedly by activists of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir. BCL leaders said, at around 10pm Thursday, a group of masked assailants launched a sudden attack on Touhid-al-Hossain Tuhin, while he, along with several other activists, were going to the Madar Bux hall.
The incident took place in front of the residence of Syeed Amir Ali hall’s provost, on the campus.
The miscreants chased Tuhin and hacked at him with sharp knives, leaving him unconscious. Shawon Sarkar, social affairs secretary of the unit, was also hit by a bullet in his right hand, said BCL leaders.
The assailants fled the scene quickly after setting off several crude bombs.
Tuhin was then rushed to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), where the on-duty doctor confirmed that the tendons in Tuhin’s right hand and both legs were severed.
Tuhin was sent to Dhaka Orthopedic Hospital in the early hours of Friday after his condition deteriorated despite surgery. The BCL leader went under surgery again at Dhaka, with Tuhin’s companions notifying the media that he had regained his senses.
BCL RU unit President Mizanur Rahman Rana alleged that Shibir activists assaulted Tuhin with the intention of killing him.
A group of BCL activists also staged a demonstration at the Shahbagh intersection in the capital late Thursday, demanding actions against the culprits.
Shibir RU unit secretary Saifuddin Eyahiya, meanwhile, denied the BCL’s allegations and told newsmen they had no connection to the incident, and that factional disputes of BCL might have led to the incident.
On the other hand, Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University Professor Mijanuddin called an emergency meeting Friday at the Senate Bhaban of RU with teachers, student representatives and law enforcement agency members.
The RU VC said, measures have been taken to ensure security at the campus and additional security personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order on the campus.
Speaking after the meeting, SM Moniruzzaman, Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, said that the mode of attack on Tuhin, specially, severing the tendons of both legs and hands, bears all hallmarks of a Shibir operation.