Bangladesh: The administration of Rajshahi University (RU) has urged law enforcement agencies and other relevant parties to ensure that no innocent students are harassed. Additionally, they have formed a two-member cell to assist innocent students who may be subjected to harassment. The information was provided in a press release issued by the university's public relations office on Thursday. The support cell is composed of two assistant proctors. If any innocent student faces unwarranted harassment, they are advised to contact Prof Dr Md Zakir Hossain (mobile: 01916314961) or Dr Ratan Kumar.
Meanwhile, amidst the anti-discrimination student movement, three out of five students from Rajshahi University (RU) who were detained during protest were released from police custody after efforts from several teachers. From 4pm on Wednesday to 1am on Thursday, the teachers stayed at the police station and brought back three students.
According to sources, on Wednesday afternoon, Syed Samiul Basit and Majed Hasan, postgraduate students of the English department, were detained in front of the university's medical center, while Naim Islam, a first-year student of the Institute of Education and Research, was detained in front of the main gate of the university.
Additionally, Rifat Hasan, a first-year student of the physics department, and Pratyay, a third-year law student, were detained from the Mahishbathan area of the city around 3:30pm. Among them, Syed Samiul Basit, Majed Hasan, and Naim Islam were detained by the Motihar police, while Pratyay was detained by the Rajpara police and Rifat Hasan by the Detective Branch (DB) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP). Later, Rifat was also sent to Rajpara Police Station on Wednesday midnight.
As part of the March for Justice program announced nationwide on Wednesday in protest of murder, mass arrest, attack, case, and disappearance, RU students also announced the program on Wednesday. The students were supposed to gather in front of the university’s main gate. However, the law enforcement forces had already taken positions there. Due to the reinforcement of law and order in the court area, the students could not gather. Meanwhile, around 3pm, an incident of brickbat throwing at the police occurred in the court area. As the news of the detention spread, teachers from various departments of RU rushed to the police station in the afternoon.
Teachers who took a stand at Motihar police station demanding the release of the students included Prof Robaida Akhtar from the English department, Prof Abdullah Al Mamun, director of the Institute of English and Other Languages, Prof Selim Reza Newton from the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Prof Al Mamun, Associate Prof Kazi Mamun Haidar, Prof Md Habib Zakaria from the Department of Drama, and at least 20 others.
To rescue their department’s student from the DB office, professors from Physics Department Saleh Hasan Naqeeb, Abdur Razzak Sarker, Samiul Islam Sarker, and a few others went there. Additionally, several teachers including the head of the Law Department, Saida Anju, took a stand at Rajpara police station. Later, among the five students, the teachers returned home with Syed Samiul Basit, Majed Hasan, and Naim Islam, who were detained at Motihar Police Station.
Although the release of the two students detained at Rajpara police station was expected, they were not released later. When asked about the detention, Motihar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Md Mobarak Parvez said: "We brought them to the station for questioning suspiciously. We have initially verified them. Further verification is ongoing. In the meantime, their teachers came. Later, we handed over the detainees to their custody."