A clash and vandalism erupted at Rajshahi Railway Station on Sunday night after a Rajshahi University (RU) student was allegedly assaulted by a railway employee, with students setting fire to railway tracks and damaging station facilities.
Following the incident, railway authorities suspended four members of the Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) over their suspected involvement.
The decision was announced in a notification signed by Ashabul Islam, chief commandant of Bangladesh Railway’s Rajshahi division.
The suspended members are Md Arif Hossain, Md Rokon Uddin, Md Shafiqul Islam and Md Shahadat Hossain.
The incident followed the assault on Ayub Ali, a third-year student of the Department of History and Culture at RU, around 9:30pm. He was later admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) with injuries.
Around 10:30pm, RU students gathered at the university’s railway station and began protesting the assault. At one point, they set fire to the railway tracks and later damaged CCTV cameras, the help desk and windowpanes at Rajshahi Railway Station.
Members of the university’s proctorial body arrived at the scene to bring the situation under control. Personnel from Rajshahi Metropolitan Police also joined efforts to contain the situation.
During the confrontation, a section of the students chanted slogans at the police.
Later, RU Proctor Professor Mahbubur Rahman spoke to the students and helped calm the situation.
“The students listened to us after our proctorial team arrived at the scene. We were subsequently able to bring the situation under control. Now, everyone must act responsibly from their respective positions to ensure that no further untoward incidents occur,” he said.
Earlier, RU Vice-Chancellor Professor Faridul Islam and Proctor Professor Mahbubur Rahman visited Ayub at RMCH.
The vice-chancellor said: “The attending physicians have advised keeping Ayub under observation for 24 hours. His condition is critical. I have already informed the commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police and the general manager of Western Railway about the matter.”
“Railway employees have assaulted RU students two or three times in the past. We demand exemplary punishment for this,” he added.
Rajshahi University Central Student Union (Rucsu) General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar had given authorities a one-hour deadline to take action against those involved in the assault and called for swift and exemplary punishment in a social media post.
RUCSU Assistant General Secretary Salman Sabbir said students had repeatedly faced harassment and abuse by railway employees, officials and TTEs in and around the railway station.
“We are holding this sit-in protest to voice our objection to these incidents and to prevent their recurrence,” he said.
