July uprising attacker, expelled Chhatra League leader recommended for police cadre

A Chhatra League leader expelled from Dhaka University (DU) for assaulting students during the July 2024 uprising has been recommended for the police cadre in the recently published final results of the 45th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination.

The individual, Raisul Islam, served as joint convener of the DU Masterda Surya Sen Hall unit of the banned organisation.

Hailing from Mymensingh district, Raisul was a 2014-15 session student at DU's Institute of Health Economics. He was temporarily expelled in March 2025 following a university probe into his role in the violence.

The expulsion order cited: "Raisul Islam was directly involved in the attack on general students on 15 July 2024."

The 45th BCS final result, released on Wednesday (26 November), recommended 1,807 candidates, including Raisul for the police cadre.

The development has triggered outrage among students and DU student leaders, who called it "deeply shameful" and demanded his immediate arrest alongside a departmental inquiry into PSC officials involved.

DUCSU Assistant General Secretary Mahiuddin Khan vented his anger in a Facebook post: "The banned Chhatra League criminal Raisul Islam has been recommended for the police cadre in the 45th BCS, sources say. This criminal was directly involved in Chhatra League's attack on DU students on 15 July last year. Evidence from the university investigation committee and media photos clearly shows Raisul as a terrorist. His recommendation for the 45th BCS is utterly disgraceful."

He added: "Raisul Islam must be arrested immediately and brought to justice. Those from PSC who were involved in this recommendation process must be held accountable through a departmental inquiry committee."

Mahiuddin further stated: "This recommendation confirms that fascist allies still hold sway in the administration and are engaged in anti-state conspiracies. The interim government, which came to power on the blood of thousands of July martyrs and injured, has failed to identify and prosecute these fascist remnants."

He called on the interim government: "Identify the fascist allies in the administration and law enforcement, and immediately bring them to justice for anti-state conspiracies."

University sources confirmed Raisul's police cadre recommendation to The Daily Campus. They said he is a known Chhatra League cadre and his BCS success is now widely known on campus. "Police job for him is inevitable under the current system," one remarked.

The 45th BCS preliminary exam was held from 23 to 31 January 2024, with results announced on 6 June 2024 (12,789 passed). The written exam results came on 18 June 2025 (6,558 qualified).

During the July uprising on 15 July 2024, Chhatra League activists attacked quota-reform protesters on campus, injuring nearly 300 students. Media footage showed Raisul directly assaulting general students. The next day (16 July), photos of the violence appeared in various outlets.

On 17 March 2025, DU's Syndicate expelled 128 students based on an inquiry committee report into the attacks. Raisul was number 72 on the list.