On September 27, 2023, members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling party (Awami League) assaulted a student and campus journalist, Faisal Ahmed, at Dhaka College.

BCL members assaulted Faisal Ahmed, a second-year English department student and the campus correspondent of Daily Bangladesh, on the night of September 27 because he was absent from a meeting of the group. The next day, BCL members assaulted and detained overnight the Dhaka College correspondent at Bangla Tribune, Obaidur Saeed, for publishing a news story about the assault on Faisal.

On September 30, the BCL expelled from the group six members accused of carrying out the assaults.

Scholars at Risk is concerned by reports of students violently attacking other students for exercising their freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Students must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, violent attacks on campus undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/dhaka-college-students-protest-torture-journalists-bcl-activists-711238
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/326762/chhatra-league-expels-six-dhaka-college-activists
https://www.newagebd.net/article/213906/dhaka-college-students-protest-against-torture-of-journalist
https://bnn.network/breaking-news/crime/chhatra-league-expels-six-dhaka-college-activists-for-assaulting-journalists/