Seven people were injured following a clash between students of Begum Rokeya University and locals in the Park Mor area.
In response, enraged students blocked the Rangpur-Dhaka-Kurigram-Lalmonirhat highway in protest.
As of 11:15pm, the demonstration was ongoing, with police and university officials, including the proctor, present at the scene to control the situation.
According to police, witnesses, and students, the altercation began on Tuesday night when Abdullah Al Mamun, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, was having tea with his classmates near Park Mor, just outside the university.
A local youth allegedly made obscene gestures towards a female student, prompting Mamun to protest. A confrontation ensued, and the local youth left, only to return with a group of accomplices who attacked and injured Mamun.
When news of the attack spread, students from the university halls and nearby residences gathered at the Park Mor intersection, where they chased and clashed with the locals. Seven students were injured during the skirmish.
In protest, students blocked the highway in front of the university, halting traffic along the Rangpur-Dhaka-Kurigram-Lalmonirhat road.
University Proctor Ferdous Rahman and the police arrived at the scene to control the situation, but the students demanded the arrest of the attacker.
At 9:30pm, Vice-Chancellor Dr Shaukat Ali also attempted to calm the situation, assuring students that steps would be taken to apprehend those responsible. However, the students refused to leave the highway until the attackers were arrested.
With the help of the police and local residents, one of the attackers was arrested and brought to the university's administrative building. The identity of the detainee was not immediately disclosed.
Tajhat police station Officer-in-Charge Shah Alam confirmed that officers were on-site, working to restore order.
Proctor Ferdous Rahman later said the situation had been brought under control, and by 11pm, traffic movement had resumed on the highway.
