A court in Rajshahi has ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to look into a complaint filed against Salahuddin Ammar, general secretary (GS) of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Rucsu), and eight other student leaders over the assault of a student.
The application was filed on Wednesday at the Motihar Cognisance Court by Asad Uz Zaman, father of the victim, Mahmudul Hasan Mahin. The complaint names nine individuals, including Rucsu GS Ammar, AGS Salman Sabbir, and activists from Chhatra Shibir, alongside 17 to 18 unidentified suspects.
According to the case application, the attack took place between 12:30pm and 1:00 pm on 27 July both inside and outside the RU Central Library. A group armed with knives, iron rods, shovels, and bamboo sticks surrounded Mahin and began the assault.
It is alleged that Salahuddin Ammar struck Mahin on the head and forehead with an iron rod, while Salman Sabbir also hit him on the head with a rod, causing a severe injury to his left eye.
The other named accused include Rucsu Information and Research Secretary Najmus Sakib, Assistant Information and Research Secretary Sifat Abu Saleh, Chhatra Shibir’s Publicity and Media Secretary Mehedi Sajib, Senate member Fahim Reza, Zia Hall Union GS Ariful Islam, Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall Union VP Ahsan Ullah Farhan, and Nawab Abdul Latif Hall Union GS Nurul Islam Shohid.
The allegations, brought under Sections 143, 448, 323, 324, 325, 326, 307, and 34 of the Penal Code, state that the accused beat Mahin on various parts of his body, including his chest and back, and attempted to strangle him after he fell.
The complainant further alleged that when witnesses tried to send Mahin to the hospital, the accused dragged him out of the ambulance to assault him again. He was eventually admitted to Ward 8 of the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
Asad Uz Zaman said he learned of the attack via Facebook on Monday afternoon. He claimed that he first attempted to file a case at Motihar Police Station on Tuesday, but the Officer-in-Charge (OC) refused to register it, leading him to seek a court order.
The complainant’s lawyer, Hazrat Ali, informed reporters that the court did not directly accept the charges but has directed the PBI to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
