The Rajshahi University Teachers’ Network has expressed concern over alleged acts of violence and other unlawful activities involving Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Raksu) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar and leaders and activists of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday afternoon, the organisation alleged that three students had been beaten repeatedly in a recent incident and raised concerns over what it described as a pattern of lawless behaviour on the campus. The network called for those responsible to face action under existing laws and the university’s rules and regulations.
The statement was also submitted to the university’s vice-chancellor, with the teachers urging the administration to take effective measures to prevent further incidents and ensure a safe academic environment.
According to the Teachers’ Network, three students were allegedly assaulted several times on Monday by Raksu GS Salauddin Ammar and Shibir leaders. It further claimed that two of the injured students were later arrested and sent to jail after being shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The organisation said the incident should not be viewed as an isolated episode of campus violence. In its assessment, allegations of repeated assaults in areas including the proctor’s office and the central library, as well as the alleged removal of an injured person from an ambulance before being assaulted, raise wider questions about the rule of law, political culture and the overall academic environment at higher educational institutions.
The Teachers’ Network stressed that no student organisation or other group has the authority to act as judge in response to allegations against individuals. If a student is accused of wrongdoing, it said, the responsibility for investigation and legal action rests with the university administration and the relevant law-enforcement agencies.
The statement warned that allowing organised groups to take the law into their own hands could establish a dangerous precedent. The teachers also alleged that students had been labelled on the basis of their political identities and subsequently subjected to what they described as “mob justice”.
The network argued that the Raksu leadership is expected to work for students’ rights and help improve the academic environment. However, it claimed that several allegations of unlawful or confrontational conduct had emerged against the general secretary and his associates since their election.
Among the incidents cited were alleged provocative statements, demonstrations involving blockades of administrative buildings, harassment of teachers and university officials perceived to be aligned with the Awami League, and the reported locking of the vice-chancellor’s office.
The statement also referred to allegations involving an anti-drug campaign reportedly conducted with sticks, the alleged harassment of the then pro-vice-chancellor during protests over the quota system for children of university employees, and claims of provocative involvement by the Raksu general secretary and vice-president in attacks on the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
The Teachers’ Network said such allegations require impartial investigation rather than retaliatory action or collective punishment. It called on the university authorities to uphold institutional rules, protect students from violence and ensure that complaints are addressed through established legal and administrative procedures.
The allegations contained in the statement could not independently be verified from the information provided. The concerns raised by the Teachers’ Network, however, underscore the continuing debate over accountability, student politics and the responsibility of elected student representatives to maintain a peaceful academic environment at Rajshahi University.
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