The principal of Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute was thrown into a pond yesterday allegedly by some students, who are members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), for his refusal to allow two students to fill up examination forms due to insufficient class attendance. The incident was captured by a surveillance camera. Principal Farid Uddin said he was returning to his office after offering Zohr prayers when some BCL men obstructed him and urged him to go with them towards the pond. As he refused to listen to them, they forcibly picked him up around 1:30pm and hurled him into the water body, he said. "I escaped drowning as I could manage to swim ashore," the principal added. In the morning, the BCL activists locked into an argument with the principal at his office over form fill-up of two students who failed to maintain adequate class attendance, Farid Uddin said.

Meanwhile, unit BCL President Mehedi Hasan Regan said they were investigating whether BCL men were involved in the incident. "Organisational action will be taken if any BCL activist is found guilty," he said.