RU BCL activist's foot chopped off

The activists of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) allegedly chopped off the left foot of an activist of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at the Rajshahi University (RU) on Tuesday.

They have also severed the tendons of both legs and hands of another BCL activist at the same time.

Both the Chhatra League, the student affiliate of the ruling Awami League, and the police have blamed the Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami for the attack. However, the Shibir denied its involvement in the attack.

Abdullah-hel Masud Rana and Tagar Mohammad Saleh were attacked around 8.15 am while they were heading towards the campus from Mother Box residential hall, according to OC of the Matihar Police Station Alamgir Hossain.

They were whisked off to the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in critical conditions. They were undergone the primary surgery at the hospital. Later they were admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital (NICDH) in Dhaka as their conditions deteriorated.

Saleh is a second year student of the Folklore Department and a Student Scholarship Affairs Secretary of the BCL’s university unit. Rana is also a second year student of History Department and a BCL activist. They are the residential students of Mother Box dormitory.

Police arrested 15 people after raiding the campus and adjacent areas immediately after the incident.

RU BCL unit Vice President Atiqur Rahman Sumon is accompanying the injured BCL leaders. He told bdnews24.com that the ambulance carrying the injured reached Dhaka around 4pm and subsequently they were admitted to the NICDH.

OC Alamgir Hossain told bdnews24.com that a group of men attacked Tagar and Rana while they were heading to the campus from the Mother Box dormitory by a rickshaw. “As the rickshaw reached between Ziaur Rahman Hall and Shahid Habibur Rahman Hall, the miscreants hurled several crude bombs targeting the rickshaw.”

“As Tagar and Rana got off from the rickshaw and tried to escape, the assailants caught them and dragged them behind a shop where they were hacked with sharp weapons.”

Asked whether the Shibir was involved in the attack, the OC said: “Who else other than Shibir can cut off tendons? It’s the Jamaat-Shibir who unleashed this attack.”

He said that the police already launched a drive to arrest the offenders. Some 15 people were arrested until Tuesday afternoon after raiding the campus and adjacent areas.

RMCH Orthopedics Department chief Prof Dr BK Dam said: “Criminals detached the right leg of Masud Rana from his body. His left leg was also severely chopped, but was not completely detached from the body. Tendons of his both hands were also chopped off.”

He said that the tendons of the leg and hand of Saleh were cut off during the attack. They were sent to Dhaka after the primary surgery.

Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Proloy Chichim said that several police teams were working to arrest the culprits.

RU BCL General Secretary Towhid Al Tuhin claimed that the Shibir carried out the criminal attack in a planned way. “Masud’s condition is very critical. Doctors have expressed their doubt whether he will survive.”

Shibir denied the charges. Its RU unit Vice President Adbur Rauf said: "The attack is an outcome of an internal feud within the Chhatra League."

On Saturday night, Mother Box Hall unit Shibir President Waliullah Oli was beaten up by the BCL men and Masud Rana was said to be involved in the attack.

Asked whether the Tuesday’s attack was to take revenge of the assault, Shibir leader Rouf denied the claim.

Meanwhile, the Chhatra League took out a procession on the campus at noon in protest against the criminal attack and demanded that those involved in the attack should be arrested.