Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly condemned the armed attack and death threats against media personnel at Rajshahi University (RU), demanding exemplary justice free from political bias and calling on political leadership to curb internal violence.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the anti-corruption watchdog urged the leadership of the ruling BNP and opposition Jamaat-e-Islami to undertake radical reforms and effective self-purification to control their affiliate organisations and end violent struggles for dominance on campus.
According to media reports, the incident occurred on the night of 4 October, when leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) allegedly carried out an attack at RU, leaving at least 10 people injured, including four journalists.
Following the violence, the RU proctor admitted the administration’s failure and added that police personnel had fled in fear.
While the university administration announced plans to file a lawsuit by Monday, JCD has formed an internal investigation committee.
Meanwhile, protesting journalists remain firm in their logical demands for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and the resignation of administrative officials concerned.
Reacting to the incident, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman demanded full justice for the injured media workers and students through an impartial probe, regardless of the political identities or influence of the attackers, their accomplices, and patrons.
He urged authorities to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, guarantee the safety of journalists and students, and hold the police accountable for failing to perform their duties.
“Attacks on media personnel curtail the public’s right to know and narrow down opportunities to hold the powerful accountable – remedy for which must be guaranteed by the state,” Iftekharuzzaman said.
He noted that the helplessness of university authorities and the evasive failure of the police demonstrate that power struggles on campus cannot be solved merely by holding immediate perpetrators accountable.
Iftekharuzzaman warned that without radical reform and self-purification within political parties – particularly those in power – the core objectives of July Uprising, alongside fundamental rights such as media freedom, freedom of speech and dissent, life and livelihood security, and equal rights, will face escalating threats.
Questioning whether the ruling and opposition party could evade political responsibility for the violence, the TIB chief urged party leadership to move beyond superficial investigation committees or cosmetic organisational actions.
He stressed the need to stop patronising violence, foster a legal environment conducive to bringing offenders to justice, and establish democratic practices and accountability in party decisions.
Failing to do so, he warned, would further alienate political parties from the public.
Framing the administration’s failure within a broader pattern of institutional decay at RU, Iftekharuzzaman observed that the attack should not be viewed in isolation.
He highlighted ongoing campus instability driven by demands for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and teachers, extortion, muscle-flexing, and struggles for political dominance.
While affirming that students’ rights to seek justice and protest peacefully must be protected, the TIB chief stressed that allegations against the vice-chancellor or teachers must be addressed through neutral investigation and formal accountability rather than force, intimidation, or party influence.
“A situation where a section of students becomes so over-empowered through political backing that the university administration cannot take responsibility and the police fail to enforce the law cannot be allowed to continue,” Iftekharuzzaman said, adding that universities must be run by laws and regulations rather than party muscle.
TIB further demanded an inquiry into the specific causes of failure by the university authorities and police to fix responsibility.
The watchdog emphasised that political pressure or helplessness cannot justify evading duty, insisting that the government must ensure political identity does not serve as a protective shield for crime and that institutions operate free from party influence.
