Chhatra Shakti activists beat DU student after branding him Chhatra League member

A Dhaka University (DU) student was beaten by activists linked to the National Citizen Party's (NCP) student wing Jatiya Chhatra Shakti after they labelled him an activist of banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

The injured student was identified as Rahid Khan Pavel, a philosophy student from the 2020–21 academic session at Dhaka University. However, his political affiliation could not be independently confirmed.

The incident reportedly took place around 3am today (9 March) when the student was on his way to have sehri in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) area. 

The victim was later left injured in front of Shahbagh Police Station and alleged that his mobile phone, motorbike keys and wallet were taken during the assault.

Describing the incident, Pavel told The Business Standard that he had gone to BUET's Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall for sehri when he was confronted by a group of students.

"Initially, there were eight to ten people. Later, around 20 to 25 people beat me for two to two and a half hours without any reason," he said, adding that he asked them to hand him over to the police if he was guilty.

Pavel said he was first assaulted inside the BUET campus before being taken by rickshaw to the gate of Salimullah Muslim Hall, where the beating continued. He was later taken to VC Chattar and the Raju Sculpture area before being left at Shahbagh Police Station. "Even at the police station gate, I was beaten. CCTV footage will make everything clear," he said.

He said those involved in the beating included Md Saifullah, organisational secretary of the DU unit of Chhatra Shakti; Hasib Al Islam, a former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination; and Mohammad Mohiuddin, a Sociology student. All three are from the university's 2020–21 academic session. Eyewitnesses also reported seeing Mohammad Sakib, Hossain Riad and Sardar Nadim Mohammad Shuvo, students of the 2021–22 session of the International Relations Department.

Al Amin Sarkar, general secretary of the DU unit of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, said the initial dispute was personal, which escalated after Pavel allegedly called another Chhatra League leader and threatened a student.

Dhaka University Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed said the university has not yet received any formal complaint. He added that around 11:30am, Shahbagh police sent Pavel to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.