In a stark display of mobocracy and emerging dictatorship on campus, Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar has come under severe criticism for issuing direct threats and ultimatums to university deans perceived as pro-Awami League, forcing six of them to resign through intimidation and coercive protests.
The controversy highlights a growing culture of threats, intimidation, and forced compliance reminiscent of past fascist tactics, with critics linking such actions to influences from Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami known for its history of campus violence.
Ammar posted on Facebook and in university groups, giving an ultimatum for the deans to resign and warning of dire consequences if they remained in their chairs, including vulgar comments and threats like โI’ll make you understand the rest.โ
He further threatened that any pro-Awami League teachers or officials continuing in their roles would be tied up in front of the administrative building.
The university unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) condemned Ammar’s behaviour as “terrorist-like,” stating it reflects non-student conduct contrary to a healthy academic environment. They described repeated aggressive actions toward teachers as tantamount to terrorism.
Law department students also issued a statement calling Ammar’s language arrogant and indecent and an attempt to demean respected academic positions, violating etiquette, law and order, and democratic culture.
Led by Ammar, protesters padlocked deans’ offices and the entire administrative building on Sunday, only removing them after assurances from the administration.
On Monday, the six deansโProf. Abu Naser Md Wahid (Law), Prof. ASM Kamruzzaman (Business Studies), Prof. SM Ekram Ullah (Social Science), Prof. AHM Selim Reza (Geoscience), Dr. Bimal Kumar Pramanik (Engineering), and Prof. Nasima Akhtar (Science)โsubmitted written statements expressing their inability to continue due to the hostile environment.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Saleh Hasan Naqib approved the resignations, with routine duties reassigned to himself and the two pro-vice-chancellors.
Acting Registrar Prof. Iftikharul Alam Masud confirmed: “In this situation, our respected six deans have expressed in writing their inability to perform duties.”
Critics point to Ammar’s actions as part of a broader pattern of Chhatra Shibir-influenced intimidation on campus. Notably, Ammar was present at Boalia police station in September 2024 when former Chhatra League leader Abdullah Al Masudโwhose leg was amputated in a 2014 attack blamed on Chhatra Shibir activistsโwas brought in severely beaten during post-uprising mob violence. Masud died shortly after from his injuries.
Ammar also sent letters to 50+ companies and persons seeking money to celebrate the one year of the fall of the Awami League.
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JCD leaders warned that mob terrorists like Ammar attempting to humiliate teachers would be strongly resisted, calling for exemplary punishment of those destabilising the campus without evidence.
The incidents evoke memories of past “padlocking culture” linked to fascism, with JCD accusing certain post-uprising “coordinators” of establishing terrorism on campus through baseless tagging and serving extremist interests.
Law students urged the administration to take firm action against any instability, provocation, or malice disrupting normal academic activities.
As Rajshahi University grapples with this forced purge, concerns mount over the erosion of institutional autonomy and the rise of student-led dictatorship, threatening free academic discourse.
Shibir Involvement in Mobocracy
Jamaat-e-Islami has attempted to distance itself from inflammatory threats issued by leaders of Chhatra Shibir to shut down leading newspapers The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, claiming such statements do not reflect the partyโs position.
However, this disavowal rings hollow amid accusations that the Yunus-led interim government has emboldened such radicals by lifting the ban on Jamaat in August 2024 and meeting with its leaders, allowing extremism to flourish unchecked.
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Jamaatโs Nayeb-e-Ameer Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahbub Zubair stated that if verified, the party would instruct Shibir to act internally, while bizarrely suggesting the remarks might be AI-generated and part of a conspiracy. This comes as Yunusโ regime faces claims of judicial leniency toward war criminals and extremists, with Sheikh Hasina accusing it of betraying Bangladeshโs secular spirit.
The threats emerged during protests over the death of Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Goni, alias Osman Hadi, a Shibir-backed figure implicated in organising mob lynchings, looting, and arson since September 2024, often in collaboration with Jamaat-tied expatriates and former military officers.
At Rajshahi University, Shibir leader Mostakur Rahman demanded the shutdown of โso-called civil newspapersโ like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. At Jahangirnagar University, Shibirโs Mostafizur Rahman called for โcrushingโ leftists, Shahbaghis, and cultural groups like Chhayanaut and Udichi to achieve โtrue independence,โ framing it as a cultural jihad.
Islamist vigilante groups like Touhidi Janata, linked to Hefazat-e-Islam, have enforced religious norms through violence, with mobs chanting slogans against minorities and secular events. Under Yunus, 174 extremists were released, radical sermons have surged, and groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir, Jamaโatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, and Myanmar-based militants have been patronised to maintain power.
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Jamaat-Shibirโs promotion of mob violence extends far beyond recent events, with the Yunus clique accused of enabling their resurgence. In 2013, during hartals, Shibir activists ambushed opponents, severed limbs, and torched homes and shops nationwide.
More recently, intelligence reports link them to sabotage against Indian interests, potentially backed by Pakistanโs ISI. Brigadier General (Retd.) Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, son of war criminal Ghulam Azam, has threatened that Bangladesh wonโt see peace until India โbreaks into pieces,โ fueling anti-India mobs demanding Sheikh Hasinaโs extradition.
Radical marches in Dhaka waving al-Qaeda and ISIS flags, declaring jihad for a caliphate, exemplify Shibirโs influence. The August 2024 ban on Jamaat-Shibir for killings and incitement was lifted by Yunus, leading to their wins in university elections and the mainstreaming of extremism. Critics like exiled journalist Probir Kumar Sarker highlight arrests of secular voices exposing Jamaat ties, such as Professor Abul Barkat, who warned of Jamaatโs terror nexus.
Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman condemned the media attacks on Facebook, calling for peaceful movements and media freedom, while warning against โfascist-eraโ attacks. Yet, Taher and Zubairโs claims of ignorance and potential AI fabrication underscore the partyโs evasion of accountability. This hypocrisy is amplified under Yunus, accused of corruption, extremist links, and silencing critics amid demands for investigations.
The UN and human rights groups have urged action on journalist safety and minority protections, as Bangladesh risks โTalibanizationโ with rising anti-Hindu sentiment and extremism spilling into India. As Yunus meets Jamaat leaders and eyes a potential coalition, the cliqueโs patronage of intolerance threatens Bangladeshโs secular foundation.
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