Published : 21 Sep 2026, 10:56 AM
Updated : 21 Sep 2026, 11:12 AM
The beating of a Rajshahi University student has led to overnight unrest at Rajshahi Railway Station.
In addition to blocking the railway line, a group of students has also vandalised the railway station building. At one stage, the railway authorities suspended four members of the Railway Nirapatta Bahini (RNB) security force.
A university student was beaten at Rajshahi Railway Station around 9:30pm on Sunday. In protest, students set fire to the railway line in the Station Bazar area adjacent to the university around 11pm and blocked the line.
Around 11:15pm, a group of students went to the Rajshahi Railway Station office and vandalised it, breaking windows and chairs.
Around 1:30am, Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, Rajshahi University teachers and police officials went to the station and brought the situation under control.
BNP leaders protested at the station against the vandalism afterwards before police removed them from the area.
Earlier, enraged students had announced a “March to Rajshahi Railway Station” programme and headed towards the station. The programme was led by Salahuddin Ammar, general secretary (GS) of the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU).
At one point, he stopped a train and threatened to detain train staff.
Due to the student blockade, the Dhaka-bound intercity Dhumketu Express train was unable to leave at the scheduled time of 11:20pm.
The student who was beaten has been identified as Ayub Ali, a student of the Department of Islamic History and Culture at Rajshahi University in the 2022-23 academic year. After the incident, he was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospita and is currently undergoing treatment there.
According to university sources, Ayub had gone to Rajshahi Railway Station to pick up his uncle when an altercation broke out between two students of the university’s English department and Ansar members on duty at the station.
At one point, Ayub protested the incident and was allegedly beaten.
Ayub's classmate Mohammad Mizan said that some students were arguing with railway employees at the railway station. When Ayub spoke up on their behalf, he was severely beaten, Mizan said.
In a speech to the protesting students, RUCSU GS Salahuddin had demanded immediate action against those involved.
He told the media, "Those involved must be arrested immediately. I will stop the trains and take two train staff from each train."
"Take whatever action you want against me. I want to know the reason for this vendetta against Rajshahi University students."
When asked about the incident, Western Railway Director General Ahmed Hossain Masum said, "Such violence is uncalled for.
“We are collecting CCTV footage of the incident and sending it to the intelligence agencies and law enforcing agencies.”
Regarding the student blockade and the warning from the RUCSU GS, he said: “It is quite natural for students to become emotional after such an uncalled-for incident. I will urge them not to take the law into their own hands. We will take legal action as soon as possible.”
Four members of the RNB have been temporarily suspended following the incident. The decision was announced in an order signed by Rajshahi Railway Chief Commandant Mohammad Ashabul Islam on Sunday.
The RNB members who have been suspended are Arif Hossain, Rokon Uddin, Shafiqul Islam and Shahadat Hossain.
The order said that they have been temporarily suspended on suspicion of being involved in the incident that took place at the Rajshahi Railway Station on Sunday evening. They have been ordered to report daily to the commandant (Sadar) until further orders.
