Meanwhile, a seven-member committee yesterday started probing the incident.

Different organisations representing students, teachers and journalists strongly condemned the Saturday's violence that left over 200 injured.

RU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Faisul Islam Faruki left Rajshahi for Paris early morning.

The Cases

RU Registrar Prof Abdus Salam filed a case under sections 147, 148,149, 323, 325, 342, 427 and 438 of the Penal Code for confining the Tapashi Rabeya Hall provost and house tutors, hurling bricks at VC's residence and damaging RU vehicles and properties.

Police sent 55 students, mostly of mass communication, and finance and banking departments to court after showing arrested in the case and the court sent them to jail, refusing their bail prayer.

The 55 arrested students include Rezaul Kabir Rana, RU reporter of Rangpur daily The Dainik Dabanal, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front leaders Protik Bardhan, Nayaran Mondol and Jewel Rana, Chhatra Union leaders Moniruzzaman Manik and Sumon Banik. The rest are mostly general students.

Sub Inspector of Motihar Police Station Kafil Uddin filed another case against nearly 400 unnamed students under sections 147, 148, 149, 332, 333, 353, 427, and 435 for hurting 20 policemen and interrupting police activities during the violence.

Earlier on Saturday night, RU syndicate, in an urgent meeting with the VC in the chair, decided to file the cases and formed a probe committee.

Probe

The seven-member committee yesterday started probing the incident and its members visited the injured students and different areas of the campus.

The Pro-VC, now acting VC K H M Shahadat Hossain Mondol also ordered the students' advisor Prof Zahid Hasan Milky to ask the departmental chairmen to provide clearance for 'innocent' students so that the authorities can initiate release of the arrested.

Protest

RU units of Bangladesh Chhatra League, and Progotishil Chhatra Jote held a procession and protest rally at the court premises. They demanded immediate removal of RU VC and Proctor.

In a statement, RU Teachers Association (Ruta) blamed the administration for the violence.

The authorities could have tackled the situation easily if they had good will, read a statement signed by Ruta President Prof Khalequzzaman and General Secretary Prof Mamunul Keramat.

Progressive Teachers' Association in a statement condemned the violence and decided to hold protest meeting on the campus today.

Nationalist Teachers' forum also condemned the police action but praised the role of pro- government teachers.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Press Club, and other journalists' bodies here protested the attacks on journalists, demanded compensation for injured photojournalists and release of journalist Rezaul Karim Rana.

Saturday's massive violence on the RU campus is actually the consequences of students' dissatisfaction amassed for long as the authorities have been showing indifference to students' demand for security in the residential halls, sources concerned said.

More than 50 stealing incidents occurred in four women's halls in the last two months, sources said.

Our reporter adds : A report on RU incident signed by Registrar Prof Abdus Salam was faxed to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) yesterday in response to a letter from the PMO seeking immediate information on the Saturday's campus violence.

Prof Salam, however, declined to give details of the report.