6 cases filed over RU violence

Six cases have been filed accusing some 475 people, 105 of them named, a day after agitating students were attacked on the Rajshahi University campus.

The university administration, police and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) filed the cases with the Motihar Police Station on charges of attacking a procession, creating unrest on the campus, exploding bombs and obstructing the police.

Though none was named in the four cases filed by the university administration and police, the Islami Chhatra Shibir leaders were made accused in the two cases filed by the BCL – the student wing of the ruling Awami League.

Over 50 students of Rajshahi University and several journalists were injured on Sunday, as the BCL men, brandishing firearms and backed by police, attacked the students protesting fee hikes and evening shift master's courses.

The authorities on Sunday night closed the university for an indefinite period and ordered the resident students to vacate halls by 8am on Monday.

Though the university and police on Sunday did not want to accuse the protesting students, the students feared that they might be made suspects in the cases.

Sub-Inspector of the Motihar Police Station Monirul Islam told bdnews24.com that six cases were filed against 105 named and 370 unidentified people.

RU unit Chhatra League Vice-President Tanmayananda Avi on Monday evening filed two cases accusing 10 people, including the university unit Shibir President Ashraful Alam Emon, and 60 to 70 unnamed persons of attacking the procession with bombs to create chaos on the campus.

About lodging the cases, RU BCL General Secretary Towhid-Al-Tuhin told bdnews24.com: “We took out a procession. Shibir activists hurled crude bombs and bricks on us. The two cases have been filed in this connection.”

BCL, which had allegedly attacked the students, has formed a five-member probe committee to investigate violece.

Motihar police SI Chittaranjan Saha said they had filed two cases on charges of obstructing government work, assault on police, and under the Explosives Act.

Earlier in the day, RU Acting Registrar Saad Ahmed filed the two other cases – one under Explosives Act and the other for anarchy and vandalism on the campus. Some 110 people were sued in those cases.

Sixty people have been implicated in the explosives case and 50 in the other case, said Motihar police OC Shamsun Noor.

Proctor M Tariqul Hassan told bdnews24.com the cases had been filed following decisions taken at the syndicate committee's emergency meeting on Sunday night.

But neither police nor the university authorities disclosed the names of the accused in the cases “for the sake of the investigation”.

Syndicate member and Business Faculty Dean Prof Amjad Hossain on Sunday had hinted that those who tried to create “an anarchic environment” on the campus would be identified.

Police on Sunday had detained Sajib Ahmed, a fourth year student of the Department of Finance and Banking, on charges of vandalism.

The Proctor said two cars belonging to teachers, some of their residences and several academic buildings had been ransacked on Sunday.

Ayatullah Khomeni, President of the university Chhatra Union unit and coordinator of the student's movement, feared that they might be implicated in the cases.

He told bdnews24.com: “We are demonstrating for the general students. A student organisation has attacked us and now we are being sued again. This is the paradox of the university’s ones-sided policy.”

Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Monday promised action against those involved in the unseemly incident.

He claimed activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, had tried to create chaos by ‘joining’ the demonstrations for cancellation of hiked fees and evening courses.

He said the Home Ministry would also take ‘effective steps’, adding, “Whoever is found responsible will be punished.”

State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Kamal also promised tough action against those who carried arms and attacked the students on the Rajshahi University campus.

After photos of armed BCL leaders were published in the media, Kamal on Monday said, “Anyone who wields arms is a terrorist, not a student. He doesn’t belong to any political party.”