Three students of Rajshahi University (RU) were injured on Wednesday night after a group of masked and helmet-wearing miscreants attacked them near the university’s Kazla Gate.

The incident occurred around 11 pm when several students were having dinner at Kazla Canteen.

The injured were identified as Al Farabi and Tahmid Ahmed Bakhshi of the Finance Department, and Minhaj of the Theatre Department.

According to witnesses, a group of 10–15 attackers arrived on motorcycles and began searching for Farabi, showing his photograph to other students at the canteen.

Moments later, the miscreants started attacking the trio with iron rods, cleavers, hammers and knives.

In the attack, they picked Farabi and Bakhshi up from the canteen. Farabi was later rescued near Betar Math while Bakhshi was found in front of Habibur Rahman Hall.

Minhaj was rescued from the canteen. Later all injured received treatment at the RU Medical Centre and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

Farabi had held the post of convenor of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Madar Bux Hall unit. He stepped down from the post following the July uprising.

Injured Bakhshi said, “We were eating at the restaurant when a group of masked men suddenly jumped on us. They grabbed me, put me on a rickshaw, and took me to a dark spot. They questioned me repeatedly. I told them I had no involvement with the Chhatra League. After that, they released me.”

Acknowledging the incident, RU Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman said the injured are now under medical care.

RMCH emergency physician Dr. Shankar K. Biswas said one student was brought in around 11:30 pm with multiple injury marks and has been admitted for treatment.

Following the incident, students gathered at Kazla Gate around midnight and blocked Dhaka–Rajshahi Highway, setting fires on the road in protest.

Officer-in-charge Abdul Malek of Motihar Police Station said police responded swiftly, rescuing two students .“We are trying to identify those involved.”