In a blatant display of lawlessness and intimidation, an assistant professor at Chittagong University (CU) was physically harassed, dragged, and detained for nearly nine hours by leaders of the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU), now dominated by the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir.
This shocking incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, exposes the dangerous spread of mob justice and vigilante politics under the current interim government, which has enabled and emboldened Islamist-aligned groups since lifting the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami in 2024.
The victim, Hasan Mohammad, an assistant professor in the Law Department and former assistant proctor, was on duty supervising the first-year undergraduate admission test when the assault occurred around noon on January 10.
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Eyewitnesses and a viral 1-minute-7-second video show CUCSU leaders—including Office Secretary Abdullah Al Noman, Library and Cafeteria Secretary Masum Billah, Law and Human Rights Secretary Fazle Rabbi, and executive member Sohanur Rahman—forcibly chasing, grabbing, and dragging the screaming teacher from the examination center near the Law Faculty. He was bundled into an auto-rickshaw, taken to the proctor’s office, and held for approximately nine hours before being released around 9 p.m. under police escort in the proctor’s vehicle.
Hasan Mohammad, affiliated with a faction of Awami and leftist teachers’ group known as the Yellow Party, described the ordeal: “While performing duties at the exam center, I was warned of a bad situation. As I exited, CUCSU leaders shouted and chased me. I ran in fear, but they formed a mob against me and refused to let go.” His mobile phone was reportedly searched during the detention.
This act of public humiliation and unlawful restraint occurred in broad daylight during a sensitive admission examination, yet university authorities failed to intervene promptly, raising serious questions about administrative complicity or fear. The proctor, Hossain Shahid Sarwardy, referred to the teacher as a “soldier of the fascist regime” and noted an ongoing investigation while falsely claiming a police case had been filed—later contradicted by Hathazari police station’s Officer-in-Charge, who confirmed no case was registered.
CUCSU leaders, aligned with Islami Chhatra Shibir (the student arm of Jamaat-e-Islami), accused Hasan of past involvement in suppressing protests during the Awami League era and the July 2024 uprising. They attempted to file a case but were reportedly turned away without senior approval, instead submitting a written complaint.
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This incident is not isolated but symptomatic of a broader, alarming trend of mob culture and vigilante actions that have surged since the interim government under Muhammad Yunus assumed power and lifted restrictions on Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliates. Reports indicate growing dominance of Shibir in university student unions, including CUCSU, accompanied by intimidation of secular voices, harassment of teachers, and erosion of campus safety. Critics argue that the interim administration’s tolerance—or perceived leniency—toward these groups has created an environment where political vendettas are settled through violence rather than legal processes.
Such mob justice is utterly unacceptable in any civilised society, especially on university campuses meant to foster learning, debate, and respect. Assaulting and detaining a teacher in front of students and parents during exams not only violates basic human dignity and academic freedom but also sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the rule of law. The interim government’s failure to swiftly condemn and prosecute those responsible sends a chilling message that impunity prevails when aligned with certain ideological forces.
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