Strike at RU protesting JCD bomb blasts,attack

On Saturday, at least 10 students of Fine Arts department were injured as JCD activists blasted bombs and attacked them with irons roads and hockey sticks.

Following the attack, the students called a strike on the campus.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Among the injured, Ariful Islam, former RU Chhatra Union president and member of Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Ifti and Bishnu Podder Raju were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Yesterday, students of Fine Arts department under the banner of General Students Council locked the administrative building for several hours and staged a two-hour sit-in from 9 am.

The students withdrew their sit-in programme after higher authorities in the university agreed to fulfil their demand for punishment of the culprits.

Vehicles including university buses did not ply while university shops and the post office remained closed yesterday.

Presence of students on the campus was also very thin and the university central library was closed.

At a rally in front of the central library at around 11:00am, the students warned of indefinite strike on the campus if the authorities fail to punish the persons responsible for Saturday' attack within 48 hours.

Earlier, the students formed a human chain on the campus demanding removal of a teacher of the department.

Following a meeting with Proctor Enamul Haque and Students' Adviser Prof Zahid Hassan Milky in the afternoon, the students withdrew their strike vowed to boycott their classes and examinations till the attackers are not punished.

Sammilito Sangskritik Jote (SSJ) at RU also took out a procession on the campus and held a rally yesterday demanding punishment to the attackers.

Speakers at a rally threatened tougher agitation against the RU VC if the attackers are not punished.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Progressive Students Alliance (PSA) also staged separate demonstrations on the campus and demanded punishment to the attackers.