Rajshahi University authority, police and Bangladesh Chhatra League yesterday filed six cases against 525 students over Sunday’s incident on the campus that left scores of agitating students injured.
However, no legal action was taken against the two gun-trotting activists of the Chhatra League who fired on students who were demonstrating against the university authority’s decision on increasing fees and introducing evening courses. Only, Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, expelled the two activists from the organisation.
University’s acting registrar Prof Saad Ahmed had filed two cases – one for explosion and another for vandalism – against 250 students, naming 50 of them, said Abdul Momen Sarkar, investigation officer of the cases.
Motihar police station OC Shamsun Nur told the Dhaka Tribune that police had lodged two cases against 195 students over the incident.
Chhatra League filed two other cases against 80 students, naming 10 including RU unit Shibir President Ashraful Alam Emon.
No cases were filed in connection with the assault on demonstrating students. The law enforcement agencies could not also arrest as of yesterday any of activists who had swooped on the agitating students and fired at will on Sunday.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said actions would be taken after investigation against those who had been involved in the Rajshahi University incident.
He said he was sorry, worried and angry with what had happened in Rajshahi University and that the ministry had asked the VC to take measures so that the university could be reopened.
Nahid, however, claimed that activists of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami, had joined the students’ movement and tried to incite violence.
Asked about Chhatra League activists seen with arms, Nahid told reporters that whoever was involved would face actions. The home ministry had been asked to take effective measures.
Sheikh Rasel, office secretary of Chhatra League’s central committee, told the Dhaka Tribune that Nasim Ahmed Setu, joint secretary, and Shamsuzzaman Emon, organising secretary of RU unit, had been expelled for “anti-organisation activities.”
It was learnt from Ganabhaban sources that the decision had been made after the Chhatra League president and secretary met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Our Rajshahi University correspondent reports: University’s acting registrar Prof Saad Ahmed filed an explosives case, naming 60 students, and a case over vandalism, naming 50 students, said investigation officer Abdul Momen Sarkar.
Sarker refused to disclose the names of the accused for the sake of investigation.
The Chhatra League activists swooped on Rajshahi University students who were protesting against a hike in fees and a move to introduce evening courses at Rajshahi University on Sunday. The ruling party-backed activists and police locked into a clash with the agitating students that left over 100 students injured – 20 of them with bullet injuries.
The agitating students expressed their frustration as no shooters were arrested after the incident.
Police and the university authority did not raid the halls to recover the guns used by the Chhatra League activists.
Proctor Tariqul Hasan avoided answering why no raid was conducted, saying: “To control the situation students were asked to leave the halls. All steps will be taken as per the decision of the syndicate.”
OC Shamsur Nur told reporters that police could not raid halls unless the university authority asked them. “We are looking for those who were seen brandishing guns during the incident.”
A protester said the Chhatra League activists had attacked and fired on the students under the very nose of law enforcers. Another alleged that the university authorities had filed cases against ordinary students to foil their movement.
General students vacated their halls yesterday by 8am as the university Syndicate on Sunday night had declared the campus closed for an indefinite period.
A number of Chhatra League activists, however, were seen in Bangabandhu Hall until 1pm.
The Syndicate formed a five-member probe body led by Prof Khalekuzzaman of geology department to investigate the incident, public relations administrator Prof Eliyas Hossain said.
Police on Sunday arrested a protester named Sajeeb Ahmed, a fourth year student of finance and banking; he was sent to jail after being produced before court.
Meanwhile, the agitating students declared that they would continue their strike and abstention of classes and examinations from the day the university is reopened.
Rajshahi University students had started agitating on January 16 to push their three-point demand – withdrawal of the recent decision to introduce evening master’s courses under the Social Sciences Faculty, stopping the ongoing evening master’s courses at BBA and law faculties, and withdrawal of the recent decision to increase fees.
After the attack, the students yesterday added four more points to their demands – resignation of VC Prof Mizanuddin and Pro-VC Prof Chowdhury Sarowar Jahan and the proctorial body, trying the attackers and expelling them from the university, bearing the expenses of the injured students’ treatment, and ensuring safety of students in the halls.
At a meeting with the journalists at his office yesterday, VC Prof Mizanuddin said the violent situation had not been expected on the campus. “The law enforcers acted on their own to take the situation under control as the students went on a rampage,” he said.
University Chhatra League unit President Mizanur Rahman Rana alleged that Shibir was manipulating the students’ movement. “We prevented the Shibir activists,” he said.
In Dhaka, the Progotishil Chhatra Jote, an alliance of left students’ organisations, protested the attacks on Rajshahi University students by police and Chhatra League activists and demanded immediate resignation of the university VC, proctor and the law enforcement members on duty at that time, and exemplary punishment to the attackers.
