Kolkata: Rezaul Islam Mondal, a 27-year-old Master in Technology (M.Tech) student, was brutally assaulted on a Sealdah-bound train on Tuesday. A group of 10 to 12 alleged Hindutva extremists attacked him near Payradanga station in Nadia district. The mob not only physically assaulted him but also threatened to throw him off the train while accusing him of being a ‘Bangladeshi.’
The incident has sparked statewide outrage, with human rights activists and political leaders demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
Attack on Rezaul: What Happened?
Rezaul, a final-year M.Tech student at Aliah University, was returning from the Bishwa Ijtema in Bangladesh on February 4. He was travelling by local train from Gede to Sealdah. As the train reached Payradanga station, a passenger asked him to move a trolley bag from the luggage rack. Rezaul agreed without argument, but soon after, a group of men tried to forcibly remove him from his seat.
When he resisted, they allegedly used abusive language, calling him a ‘Bangladeshi’ and accusing him of “invading India.” According to Rezaul, one of the attackers, Ajay, taunted him, saying, “Why did you come from Bangladesh? Are you here to capture India?” The situation escalated, and the group punched him in the face, pulled his beard, and forcibly removed his cap. Rezaul Islam told eNewsroom, “I was harassed and beaten for nearly an hour. Some of them even said, ‘Kill him now, throw him off the train.’”
His friend Sajid Mirza attempted to record a video of the attack, but his phone was allegedly snatched away. Sajid later recounted, “They stopped us from helping him and threatened to throw me off the train if I recorded the incident. They even said, ‘You Bangladeshis are destroying the country, you have no education, and you are all militants.’”
Complaint and Police Response
After reaching home in Meshera village under Haripal police station in Hooghly, Rezaul received medical treatment and attempted to complain to Haripal Police Station. However, the officer in charge refused to file the FIR.
Rafiqul Islam Mondal, Rezaul’s bedridden father and a former madrasa teacher, demanded strict punishment for the accused. He said, “The boy was beaten like this because he wore a cap and had a beard on his face. Why should he be targeted just because he is a Muslim?”
On February 5, Rezaul took his complaint to the Sealdah Government Railway Police (GRP), where a case was finally registered under sections 115(2), 299, 351(2), and 3(5) of the BNS. A railway police official confirmed, “An investigation has been initiated, and appropriate legal action will follow.”
Statewide Outrage and Political Reactions
The attack has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and political figures across West Bengal. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, senior lawyer and CPM MP, wrote on social media, “The attack on Rezaul in Nadia is not an isolated incident. All this is happening in states ruled by RSS politics. No one would have dared to commit such a heinous act in Left-leaning states, including West Bengal. In the last decade, West Bengal has been ruled by the RSS ideology, which has created religious divisions in social life. To end this vicious cycle, a strong movement must be built based on secular ideals.”
Peerzada Nawsad Siddique, Bhangar MLA from ISF (Indian Secular Front), condemned the attack, saying, “Is having a beard and wearing a cap now a crime in this country? West Bengal is not immune to the communal hatred being spread across India. Hindutva extremists physically abused him and labelled him a ‘Bangladeshi.’ This cannot happen in a free democratic country.”
Mohammad Kamruzzaman, General Secretary of the All Bengal Minority Youth Federation (ABMYF), criticized the centre as well as the state government for failing to act on past attacks. “Muslims have been attacked on trains before. Videos of such incidents have gone viral, yet no arrests have been made. Without strict action, these attacks will continue,” said the ABMYF secretary.
Human Rights Groups Demand Strict Action
The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) also condemned the attack. General Secretary Ranjit Sur asserted, “It is a horrific incident. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The real situation in Bengal is much worse. Political parties and media have turned the state into a communal volcano, and the government has failed to control it.”
Social activist Imtiaz Ahmed Molla, who was present during FIR registration and been very active during CAA-NRC protests, appealed to people from all walks of life to come together and protest against the incident. He told eNewsroom, “The attack on Rezaul was shocking. We do not expect such incidents in West Bengal. We must prevent Bengal from becoming like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. If everyone does not protest against this, the government will not take action. Railway officials have assured us that they will take legal action against the accused.”
Moktar Hossain Mondal, an eminent journalist and social activist, blamed a section of the media for fueling communal hatred in Bengal, saying, “The continuous spread of communal propaganda by some media outlets and political groups is poisoning society.”
Nearly two days after the FIR was registered, no arrests have been made.
