Rucsu, Shibir leaders and activists beat 3 students on RU campus

Three students, including one alleged former activist of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), were beaten severely in rounds on the Rajshahi University campus on Monday by leaders and activists of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Rucsu) and the university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The incidents took place at the university proctor’s office and later at the central library, following an earlier dispute involving allegations that a senior student threatened a female student after she rejected his relationship proposal.

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On Sunday, a female student of the Sanskrit Department accused Mohsin Alam, a senior student of the 2021-22 academic session of the same department, of threatening her after she rejected his proposal.

In response, Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman held a meeting on Sunday night with the accused student. Mohsin was accompanied by Anas, a student of the 2017-18 session of the Department of Islamic History and Culture, Hasib of the same department, Mahmudul Hasan of the Sanskrit Department, and several others. They denied the allegation and engaged in a heated exchange with the proctor.

The proctor convened another meeting on Monday afternoon, where Rucsu leaders, including General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar and Assistant General Secretary SM Salman Sabbir, alleged that Anas was a BCL activist. They reportedly checked his phone and found photographs of him with several leaders of the banned organisation, including its General Secretary of RU unit Asadullah-Hil Galib.

The Rucsu GS and AGS then allegedly assaulted Anas inside the proctor’s office. The proctor temporarily settled the matter there and then, after which Anas and the others left the office.

Around 3:00pm, Anas, Hasib, Mahmudul and several others reportedly launched an attack on the Rucsu building in retaliation for the earlier incident, leaving Rucsu Information and Research Secretary BM Nazmus Sakib injured.

When Rucsu leaders countered the attack, the group moved to the front of the central library's reading room.

Later, the Rucsu GS and AGS along with other Rucsu members and Shibir activists also gathered there.

A video circulating on social media shows Ammar hurling abuses at the students from a distance. The students too responded with abusive language, after which Ammar allegedly began throwing bricks. Proctor Mahbubur Rahman then escorted the students into the library's reading room.

According to witnesses and videos circulating on social media, the Rucsu leaders and Chhatra Shibir activists allegedly pushed the proctor aside at the entrance and made their way into the reading room, where they beat the students with wooden sticks, bamboo poles, iron rods, belts and other objects.

Other students studying in the library who tried to intervene were also allegedly beaten.

The proctorial body, police personnel and students later removed the Rucsu and Shibir leaders from the reading room, leaving the injured students inside.

After a short while, Assistant Proctor Prof Gias Uddin and several senior teachers attempted to take injured student Mahmudul Hasan to hospital through an inner gate before placing him in an ambulance at the main entrance.

However, two people allegedly attacked him again while he was being placed in the ambulance. Mahmudul was pulled out and kicked repeatedly in front of the proctorial body. Police and students intervened and sent him to a hospital.

Later, Rucsu leaders and Shibir activists chanted slogans including "No place for Chhatra League on this campus".

From around 4:30pm, Shibir activists staged a sit-in outside the VC's office demanding punishment of the alleged activists of the banned Chhatra League.

Helal Uddin, a Physics student of the 2017-18 session who was studying in the reading room, condemned the attack, saying, "We were studying when they suddenly entered the reading room. They were tagging whoever they found as Chhatra League and beat them. They even got aggressive towards the students who were studying in the library.”

Anas, who was among those assaulted, said they had been called to the proctor’s office where he was labelled a Chhatra League activist.

"Salahuddin Ammar came with his people and started beating me in the proctor’s office. Later, we were allowed to leave the proctor’s office and went to the library. Someone else may have had a scuffle with them in front of the Rucsu building. Then Ammar came with his people, entered the library and beat us. I suffered at least 200 blows," he claimed.

Rejecting the allegation that he was a former Chhatra League activist, Anas said some of his friends had been involved with BCL in the past, which may explain photographs taken with them.

Denying Chhatra Shibir's involvement in the assault, RU unit Secretary Mehedi Hasan said, "No one from Shibir was involved. We rushed here after hearing that our Rucsu brothers had been attacked. When we arrived, we found this situation."

Asked about video footage showing involvement of Shibir members, he declined to comment.

Rucsu GS Salahuddin Ammar claimed that "Chhatra League criminals" had attacked the Rucsu building.

"We urged the administration to hand over that Chhatra League leader to the police, but they did nothing. After we came under attack, we were forced to come here [library building]," he said.

Rucsu VP Mostakur Rahman Zahid said the administration and police had assured them that those accused of attacking Rucsu leaders had been detained.

Later, following the detention of Anas and Mahmudul Hasan, Rucsu and Chhatra Shibir leaders withdrew their sit-in.

Motihar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Golam Kabir said two students had been detained over the Rajshahi University incident.

"They will be shown arrested in an earlier case. Both of them are currently undergoing treatment," the OC said.

Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman said a mediation meeting was held at his office over the earlier incident.

"During the meeting, Rucsu GS Salahuddin Ammar along with some Rucsu members accused a student of being a Chhatra League activist and demanded that he be handed over to the police. A scuffle then broke out between Rucsu leaders and the students. The altercations at the Rucsu building and later at the library stemmed from that incident," he said.

The proctor added that, following demands from students, police later detained two individuals -- Anas and Hasan -- over alleged links to the banned BCL.

He said the VC would soon form an investigation committee to ensure a fair probe into the incident and bring those responsible to justice.

*Note: This report has been updated with latest information at 1:30am, July 28, 2026.