Students at Rangpur's Begum Rokeya University (BRU) on Friday blocked the Kurigram-Lalmonirhat highway to protest the brutal attack on five of their peers, instigated over a dispute about excessive bus fares.
The incident took place at around 8pm when a student from the university's 14th batch of the marketing department, Al Amin, boarded a bus to travel to the Jaigirhat area in Mithapukur upazila.
The bus conductor demanded a fare of Tk150, which led to an altercation between them when Al Amin refused, arguing that the usual fare ranges from Tk50-60.
During this altercation, the conductor and his associates launched an attack on Al Amin, causing him significant injuries.
Four more students were injured when they arrived to rescue Al Amin.
News of the incident quickly spread across the university campus, inciting outrage among the students, who then staged a protest, blocking the Kurigram-Lalmonirhat highway in front of the university.
The blockade halted the movement of several vehicles on the highway and disrupted traffic for nearly two hours.
On receiving the news, members from Tajhat police station and the university's Proctor Dr AKM Golam Rabbani arrived at the scene to try to control the situation.
The students continued their protest from 8pm until 10pm, insisting that the blockade would persist until the perpetrators were arrested.
Following assurances from the police and the university administration regarding the arrest of the culprits, the students lifted the blockade around 10:30pm.
Speaking about the incident, Proctor Golam Rabbani described the attack on the student over a dispute about increased bus fares as regrettable.
He said that they had requested that the administration take action.
The situation had since returned to normal, he added.
Tajhat police station Officer-in-Charge Hossain Ali also confirmed that the situation was under control.
Measures would be taken to identify and apprehend those responsible, the OC assured.