Md Sohel, 23, a resident of Sadar Upazila, was killed on the Dinajpur Medical College campus early on Friday, said Kotwali police OC Redwanur Rahim.
Rahim told bdnews24.com that college students had beaten him thinking Sohel to be a thief when he went to the college in the early hours. He died on the spot.
His uncle Mobarak Hossain said Sohel had gone to say the Fazr prayers in the mosque on the campus. He said the night guard and the students were levelling false after killing him.
Locals block the Dinajpur-Gobindaganj road around 11am in protest against the death.
An hour later, police went to the scene and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the agitators.
OC Rahim said traffic flow returned to normal after the situation was brought under control.