Four members of the Railway Nirapotta Bahini (RNB) have been temporarily suspended following the alleged assault of a Rajshahi University student at Rajshahi railway station on Sunday night.
The suspended members are Md Arif Hossain, Md Rokon Uddin, Md Shafiqul Islam and Md Shahadat Hossain. Their staff numbers are C-989, C-883, C-1321 and C-600 respectively.
Md Ashabul Islam, Chief Commandant of Rajshahi Railway, issued the suspension order on Sunday.
According to the order, the four were suspended over their suspected involvement in an "untoward incident" at Rajshahi railway station. They have been instructed to report daily to the Commandant (Headquarters) until further notice.
The incident occurred at around 9:30pm when Ayub Ali, a student of the 2022-23 academic session in the Department of Islamic History and Culture at Rajshahi University, went to the station to receive his uncle.
According to university students, an altercation broke out between on-duty Ansar members and two Rajshahi University students from the Department of English. Ayub was allegedly beaten when he intervened in the dispute.
Ayub's classmate Mohammad Mizan said a verbal altercation was taking place between some university students and railway staff when Ayub intervened on behalf of the students and was severely beaten.
Ayub was later admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
Following the incident, students announced a "March to Rajshahi Railway Station" programme and gathered at the station. The programme was led by Salahuddin Ammar, general secretary of the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU).
The students later blocked the railway tracks and set fires in the Station Bazar area adjacent to the university around 11:00pm in protest.
At around 11:45pm, a group of students went to the railway station office and vandalised windowpanes and chairs. The vandalism reportedly continued until around 1:00am.
Due to the blockade, the Dhaka-bound intercity Dhumketu Express, scheduled to leave Rajshahi at 11:20pm, could not depart on time.
Addressing the protesters, Salahuddin Ammar demanded immediate action against those involved in the assault.
"Those involved must be detained immediately. I want to understand the reason behind such vindictiveness towards Rajshahi University students," he told journalists.
Western Railway Director General Ahmad Hossain Masum said such acts of violence were undesirable.
"We are collecting CCTV footage of the incident and forwarding it to intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities. At the same time, those involved will certainly be dismissed," he said.
Regarding the students' blockade, he said, "It is quite natural for students to become emotional following such an untoward incident. I urge them not to take the law into their own hands. We will take legal action quickly."
Around 1:30am, Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, accompanied by Rajshahi University teachers and police officials, reached the station and brought the situation under control.