RU makes students suffer

More than 700 students of Rajshahi University have been haunted by six cases for the last two years since their protest against a tuition hike and introduction of evening programmes ended up in violence on February 2, 2014.

The students said the university neither did withdraw the cases nor complete an investigation into the violence that had injured over a hundred general students and eight journalists. Their rally was allegedly attacked by armed men of Bangladesh Chhatra League and police.

Of the six cases, two each were filed by the RU administration, BCL and police, accusing some 750 students.

"We the victim of the cases are searching jobs after graduation but we fear the cases would create obstacles in getting government jobs," said Sohrab Hossain, one of the agitators and then president of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front of RU unit.

The victims said the university repeatedly assured them of withdrawing the cases, but to no avail. Some even alleged that the RU administration was using the cases as a tool to stifle further protest.

Aiatullah Khomeni, an accused, and former president of RU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra Union said, "Whenever we want to hold any programme over student related issues, the authorities threaten us with arrest, reminding us of the cases."

Saju Sarder, a master's student of marketing, said in mid-2015 police called his family and theatened to arrest him when he took part in a programme for reconstruction of the TSC.

Marking the second anniversary of the protest, scores gathered in front of the RU central library yesterday and demanded withdrawal of the cases and cancellation of ongoing evening programmes at the faculties of law, business and social science.

Meanwhile, the university's five-member investigation committee  which was formed on the very day of the violence has yet to submit the report, and the probe has virtually stalled.

RU Registrar Prof Entajul Haque, a member of the team, said, "We found no one (witnesses) to narrate the incident of the day after publishing a notice in the newspaper urging witnesses to meet with one of our members immediately after the body was formed".

He added, "There is nothing the probe body can do when no one communicated with us".

While asked about media reports and video clips on the violence, he said these were not enough to draw a conclusion.

Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin told The Daily Star that the university authorities had already asked police to take steps for withdrawing the two cases.

Commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Mohammad Shamshuddin recognised that the cases had been a burden on the students and said they would meet the university authorities soon to withdraw those.