Rajshahi University attack: Chhatra Dal activists accused as four journalists are hurt

The Rajshahi University attack on Sunday night left at least 10 people injured, including four journalists. Witnesses blamed activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the ruling BNP. The organisation has since opened its own inquiry.

It happened around 8:30pm near Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall. Dhaka Tribune reported that the attackers carried machetes, cleavers, hockey sticks and metal pipes. Journalists had arrived to document an armed procession from the campus Transport Market. They then became targets.

What happened in the Rajshahi University attack

The injured reporters work for bdnews24.com, The Daily Star, Samakal and Agamir Shomoy. One suffered a head injury. Reports say the activists were looking for Ariful Islam, general secretary of the Hall Students’ Union. These accounts come from witnesses and the press. No court has tested them.

The university proctor, Mahbubur Rahman, gave a blunt account. “We failed,” he said. He added that police were called but fled in fear. That admission is striking. A campus authority has conceded that it could not protect its own students.

The response so far

JCD acted quickly on paper. Its central leaders formed a two-member committee led by vice-presidents ABM Ijazul Kabir Ruel and Manjurul Alam Riad. The panel must file a written report within 24 hours. The National Citizen Party condemned the attack and demanded arrests. No arrests or formal cases had been reported at the time of writing.

An internal probe is not a substitute for the law. A party that investigates its own members has an obvious conflict. Victims deserve independent police work. Reporters need to know that covering campus politics will not cost them their safety. We raised the wider pressure on reporters in our column on press freedom in Bangladesh.

This case is an early test for the authorities. Students, journalists and the public will watch whether investigators name suspects. They will also watch whether prosecutors act. Silence would send its own message.

Fact basis: Dhaka Tribune, The Daily Star and The Business Standard reports of 4-5 October 2026. The allegations against named groups are unproven.