12-hr bandh shuts down Dhubri; Golakganj, Gauripur OCs face suspension

Dhubri, Sept 11: Life came to a halt in parts of Dhubri district on Thursday as the All Koch-Rajbongshi Students’ Union (AKRSU) enforced a 12-hour bandh to protest police action on its rally in Golakganj the previous evening.

Educational institutions, shops and markets downed shutters in several areas, while bandh supporters forced closure at Agomoni Higher Secondary School, sending back teachers and students.

The bandh call followed AKRSU’s demand for action against the police personnel involved in Wednesday’s incident.

In a parallel development, Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced that the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Golakganj Police Station had been suspended and placed under “reserved close”, while the Gauripur OC too faced the same action.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered after allegations surfaced about derogatory remarks made by the Golakganj OC against the Koch-Rajbongshi community.

The developments came after tension erupted in Golakganj on Wednesday evening when police resorted to a lathi-charge on a massive “Jor Samadal” (protest rally) organised by AKRSU and its West Dhubri district unit.

The demonstrators, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and a separate state for the Koch-Rajbongshi community, had marched from Chilarai College towards Golakganj Bazaar.

As the rally advanced, police and paramilitary personnel stopped the march, triggering a scuffle. Within minutes, security forces baton-charged the crowd, leaving more than a hundred people injured, including women.

Eyewitnesses alleged that several protesters were pushed into roadside ponds during the melee.

The injured were initially taken to Golakganj Hospital, but many were later referred to Dhubri Medical College Hospital. Two of the critically injured were shifted to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital for advanced treatment.

Condemning the police action, AKRSU leaders maintained that the rally had been peaceful until security forces “deliberately disrupted” it.

They warned of intensified agitation if their demand for suspension of the SP and OCs concerned was ignored.

Visiting the injured at hospitals in the early hours of Thursday, Minister Baruah assured that most victims were out of danger and pledged government intervention.

“The matter will be thoroughly investigated, and action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation across Dhubri, with political observers warning that the police’s heavy-handed handling could further alienate the Koch-Rajbongshi community, which has long pressed for constitutional recognition of its rights.