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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 took place around 11:00 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 a UNB report.
According to witnesses, a group of 10–15 attackers arrived on motorcycles and began searching for Farabi, showing his photograph to students at the canteen. Moments later, they attacked the trio with iron rods, cleavers, hammers and knives.
The attackers picked up Farabi and Bakhshi from the canteen. Farabi was later found near Betar Math, while Bakhshi was rescued in front of Habibur Rahman Hall. Minhaj was rescued from the canteen. All three received treatment at the RU Medical Centre and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).
Farabi had served as convenor of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Madar Bux Hall unit but stepped down 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.”
RU Proctor Prof Mahbubur Rahman confirmed the incident, saying 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 injuries and has been admitted.
Following the attack, students gathered at Kazla Gate around midnight and blocked the Dhaka–Rajshahi Highway, setting fire on the road in protest.
Officer-in-charge Abdul Malek of Motihar Police Station said police responded quickly and rescued two students. “We are trying to identify those involved,” he added.