Rajshahi station vandalised after student assault allegation; Train services resume

Railway authorities have temporarily suspended four railway employees, while Western Railway has formed a four-member committee to investigate the incident.

The unrest began shortly after 11PM when several thousand students, led by Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RACSU) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar, gathered at the station to protest the alleged assault.

At one point, a section of the protesters, equipped with sticks, entered the station and vandalised parts of the premises. Many passengers waiting for Dhaka-bound trains, including the intercity Dhumketu Express, were seen leaving the station in panic.

The protest reportedly stemmed from an incident around 9PM. Students alleged that members of the Railway Security Force beat and injured Ayub Ali, a student of the university’s Department of Islamic History, after he protested the alleged mistreatment of two fellow students at the station.

RACSU Assistant General Secretary Salman Sabbir alleged that railway officials, employees and travelling ticket examiners have repeatedly harassed university students over various issues related to the railway.

Students reportedly continued vandalising the station intermittently for nearly two hours despite attempts by various parties to defuse the situation.

Rajshahi City Corporation Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton condemned the vandalism, saying the railway station is government property and that damaging it cannot be considered part of the students’ demands.

Students later began returning to the campus following efforts by university teachers to calm the situation. The situation, however, escalated again after local BNP leaders and activists arrived at the station, leading to chases between students and locals and exchanges of brickbats.

Senior officials from Western Railway, the university administration and the local administration reached the scene at around 3:30AM and brought the situation under control after holding discussions with both sides.

Rajshahi University Proctor Professor Mahbubur Rahman said the university had removed all students from the station and, with police assistance, safely evacuated railway officials and employees who had been stranded there.

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam said an investigation would determine what triggered the incident and identify those responsible, after which appropriate action would be taken.

The latest incident comes amid several recent disputes between the university students and railway employees. Following Sunday night’s incident, railway authorities temporarily suspended four employees pending investigation.