Police raid RU dorms suspecting Shibir mayhem

Around 15 hours into their arrest, police yesterday released 16 resident students of Rajshahi University after their suspicion that they were Islami Chhatra Shibir activists planning acts of violence ahead of the January 18 convocation proved groundless.
The students, none of who has any political affiliation, were rounded up at Shaheed Suhrawardy and Shaheed Shamsuzzoha halls in a raid between 12:30am and 2:30am, said police.
Responding to the allegation of harassment, Officer-in-Charge of Motihar Police Station Alamgir Hossain admitted that the general students were disturbed.
He, however, said police had information that Shibir might create panic centring about the convocation and in support of BNP-led 20-party alliance's ongoing indefinite blockade. It was a deterrence measure, the official told The Daily Star.
The detainees, one of them Hindu, were released following the intervention of the proctor and the hall provosts.