Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Moinul Islam said on Saturday that Chhatra League is now a banned organisation and it has no right to engage in political activities. "Chhatra League does not have the right to hold rallies, and if they attempt to do so, strict legal action will be taken against them, similar to other banned organisations," he said. The IGP made the remarks during the 6th anniversary rally of Rangpur Metropolitan Police, held at the auditorium of Rangpur District Police Lines School and College in the afternoon. IGP Moinul Islam also said that all individuals involved in any form of unrest during the Anti-Discrimination Student movement will be held accountable under the law. The IGP also talked about recent allegations against police personnel, confirming that some officers are under investigation. He assured that anyone found guilty would face legal consequences, emphasising that no one would be above the law. He also said that the police force could not perform its duties due to the actions of a few misguided leaders. The current government aims to reform the police to better serve the countrymen, the IGP added. He urged both political leaders and police officers to avoid mixing administration with politics. "Cops who wish to engage in politics should resign and politicians who seek to manipulate the police must refrain from doing so," he said, highlighting that genuine reform within the police force can only occur under these conditions.  The IGP also mentioned the huge misuse of illegal weapons over the past 16 years by certain groups, which have been used against students. He expressed the commitment to recover the weapons and return those to the government. During the event, he provided financial assistance to the families of those killed or injured during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. The event was presided over by Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Majid Ali, with senior officers from both district and the Metropolitan Police in attendance. Earlier, IGP Moinul Islam visited the family of Abu Sayed, a student from Begum Rokeya University, the first martyr of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.  

In a harrowing incident at Jahangirnagar University (JU), allegations have emerged against two individuals – including a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader – of raping a woman after holding her husband captive in a residential hall. The incident, which took place on Saturday (February 03, 2024) night around 9:30 pm near the Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall’s adjacent forest, has led to the suspension of the accused from the university unit of BCL. The accused have been identified as Mostafizur Rahman, a 45th batch student of the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University, and Mamun, a 45-year-old outsider. Mostafizur, a resident student of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall and the International Affairs Secretary of the university’s Chhatra League unit, is known to be a follower of the unit president Akhtaruzzaman Sohel. Both Mostafizur and Mamun have been on the run since the incident. Inspector Abdur Rasik of Savar Model Police Station reported that the victim personally informed the police of the ordeal. “We are heading to the scene for preliminary investigation. Further actions will depend on the investigation’s outcome,” he stated. Following the incident’s exposure, over 50 students staged a protest in front of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall, demanding answers from the administration with slogans such as “Why are there rapists on campus?” and “We want a rape-free campus.” The victim, a resident of Ashulia, revealed that the accused Mamun used to rent a room in their house and had prior acquaintance with Mostafizur. Mamun occasionally stayed with Mostafizur in Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall. Mamun had invited her husband to visit the university under the pretext of purchasing furniture. On the evening of the incident, the victim’s husband informed Mamun about their plan to buy furniture. Mamun then instructed the husband to call his wife to the university, suggesting she bring some clothes for Mamun as he would be staying on campus for a few days. Read more: Rape case in Uttara: Main suspect, associate arrested Subsequently, Mostafizur and Mamun confined the victim’s husband in room 317 of the ‘A’ block of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall. When the woman arrived with the clothes, Mamun took them and later deceived her into going to the forested area near the hall under the pretense of meeting her husband from another gate, where she alleges both men raped her. Despite multiple attempts to contact Mostafizur, he remained unresponsive. His phone was later found to be turned off. Professor Sabbir Alam, provost of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall, stated, “I have heard about the incident. Actions will be taken based on the investigation.” Efforts are underway to identify the accused through CCTV footage. Akhtaruzzaman Sohel, president of the university unit of Chhatra League, announced that Mostafizur had been temporarily expelled from the organization, with recommendations for permanent expulsion to be sent to the central committee. ASM Firoz-ul-Hasan, the university’s proctor, affirmed, “Regardless of who is involved, we will ensure punishment through both law and university regulations.” Read more: Youth’s body cut into nine pieces recovered; ex-BCL leader, 4 others arrested

Tomorrow's (July 28, 2023) rally of Awami League's associate organisations -- Chhatra League, Jubo League and Swechchasebak League -- will be held at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, instead of the old trade fair ground in Agargaon, said Afzalur Rahman Babu, general secretary of Swechchasebak League. "The rally cannot be held at the old trade fair ground as there is a scheduled programme of the president at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) next to the ground," he told reporters in Dhaka's Agargaon today. Also read: BNP must take responsibility if public safety is disturbed during movement: Quader A press conference regarding the rally will be held at the Chhatra League office on Bangabandhu Avenue at 5 pm today. Also read: AL’s associate organisations to hold rally on Friday too Yesterday, the three associate organisations of AL announced that their youth rally, that was scheduled for today, will be held on Friday. Also read: BNP defers tomorrow’s grand rally to Friday at Dhaka’s Nayapaltan The decision came after BNP decided to hold its rally on Friday, instead of Thursday.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the 10-point demand has now become a one-point demand—Sheikh Hasina's resignation. She must resign immediately, he said. Also read: No compromise with govt over next election: Fakhrul “Through elections under a non-partisan neutral government a new parliament and a new government of the people should be formed, " he said at the BNP march at the institute premises in Dinajpur on Wednesday (July 19, 2023) afternoon. “This movement is not just a movement of BNP or Khaleda Zia or Tarique Rahman, this fight is a movement for the liberation of 18 crore people across the country,” he said. Also read: Govt to blame for US’s disrespectful visa policy: Fakhrul Krishak Dal Central President Hasan Jafir Tuhin presided over the programme. District Committee President Mofazzal Hossain Dulal, Divisional Organizing Secretary Asadul Habib Dulu, Senior Vice Chairman Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain and others spoke on the occasion. Earlier, leaders and activists of eight districts of the division gathered at the meeting hall with various banner, placards. After the rally, the march was taken out. Also read: Assassination threat made against PM at BNP rally: Fakhrul slammed for ‘sharing stage’ with threat issuer Meanwhile, Fakhrul alleged that 50 leaders and activists of the party were injured in an attack by Chhatra League.

Two former leaders of Awami League’s (AL’s) associate bodies--Juba League (JL) and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) have been shot to death in an attack allegedly by their rivals over establishing supremacy in Sadar upazila of Laxmipur on Tuesday night. The deceased identified as Abdullah Al Noman, 35, and Rakib Imam, 28, were former general secretary and organising secretary of the district units JL and BCL respectively.           Locals and police said there had long been a dispute between AL leader Abul Kashem Jehadhi, former chairman of Bashikpur union parishad (UP) and AL leader Mahfuzur Rahman, also incumbent chairman of the UP and elder brother  of murdered JL leader Noman in the area.    A group of miscreants opened fire on the duo in the Poddar Bazar area under the UP around 10pm, leaving them critically injured, they said. Read more: Jubo League leader shot dead in Laxmipur They were rushed to the Laxmipur Sadar Hospital where physicians declared Noman dead upon arrival, said Dr Anowar Hossain, residential medical officer of the hospital. He said Noman was brought to the hospital as dead while Rakib was referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after giving first aid.      The former BCL leader succumbed to his injuries on the way to DMCH, he said, adding that the duo sustained bullet injuries in their heads and mouths.   Noman’s brother Mahfuzur alleged that their opponent Jehadhi committed the killing to establish their supremacy in the area while UNB could not verify the allegations immediately.   Mahfuzzaman Ashraf, superintendent of police of the district, said two people sustained bullet injuries in an incident and one of them succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Read more: Chhatra League leader shot dead in Rajbari Legal actions will be taken in this connection after investigation, he said. Additional numbers of law enforcers were deployed in and around the area to ward off any unexpected incident further, the SP added.

Nur-E-Alam Siddiqui, who served as convener of Swadhin Bangla Kendriya Chhatra Sangram Parishad during the mass upsurge of 1969 and the War of Liberation in 1971 has passed away. He was 82. He was a Member of Parliament and former president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (1970-1972). He died at 4:37 am Wednesday, confirmed his press secretary Aniket Rajesh. Siddiqui was one of the organizers of independence, also known as one of the four prominent student leaders who the mass movement of 1969. He was one of the leaders of Mujib Bahini. Siddiqui played an active role in all the political activities of the time, including participation in the six-point movement, the 11-point movement, the language movement. He was elected MP from Jashore-2 constituency as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League in the first parliamentary election of 1973. He contested from Jhenaidah-2 constituency as a candidate of Bangladesh Awami League in the 7th parliamentary elections of 1996 and 8th Jatiya Sangsad in 2001.

A Jahangirnagar University student has allegedly been tortured by some activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League  for not attending guest room and political programmes.  The victim, Sakibul Islam Farabbi, a student of the 49th batch of Statistics Department at the University and a resident of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall, gave a written complaint to the provost of the hall regarding the torture incident.  The incident took place last Friday (February 24) around 2 am at the university’s Rabindranath Tagore Hall. Also Read: 'Special exam' at JU: Opportunity turns to burden for students The accused BCL men are Junaid Hasan Rana of English Department, Naimul Islam Sagar of Pharmacy Department, Atiq Shahriar of History Department, Mohtashim Billah of Fine Arts Department, Utsa and Kabbo of Government and Politics Department, Junaid Ivan of Mathematics Department, Imran Mirza of Biochemistry and Bioscience Department and Saikat Islam of Physics Department. They are the students of the 48th batch of the University and followers of JU BCL unit president Akhtaruzzaman Shohel. They’re also residents of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore hall.  According to the written complaint, the BCL activists called the students of batch 49 of room no 216 to room no. 219 at 2 am on February 24. Later, the students were physically and mentally abused in various ways by the Chhatra League activists. The BCL men later locked the rooms of the students and forced them to spend the night in the guest room.  While talking to UNB, Farabbi said, “the BCL men asked me why I didn't attend the guest room and political programs? I said I was away for a departmental tour and was also preoccupied with my exams.” Later, the BCL men asked Farabbi to leave the hall.  “After they asked me to leave the hall, I said this hall was allocated in my name and I won’t leave.Then they asked me to undress. So when I refused to undress, they got angry and started beating me,” Farabi said.  “My friends came from the next room and took me away after hearing my screams. Then we spent the rest of the night in the guest room of the hall,” Farabbi told UNB.  However, the accused BCL men denied the allegations of torture.  Denying the allegations, Atiq Shahriar, one of the accused, said that there was no incident of beating or torture.  “The complainant was misbehaving with his friends. He threw one of his friends out of the room. So we went to convince him,” he said.  Another accused, Imran Mirza, claimed the allegation was ‘baseless.’  However, Shakib, a student of the International Department and a witness of the incident, said, "I moved from the room after hearing the sound of slapping."  “Then I saw some of our seniors from the 48th batch beating Farabbi. Later, I escorted him out of the room," he added.  Aktaruzzaman Sohel, president of the university unit BCL, said, "The Chhatra League has declared zero tolerance against ragging.” “Such incidents are not acceptable. If the allegation of torture is true, organizational action will be taken against those involved,” said Sohel.  Professor Nazmul Hossain Talukder, the provost of Rabindranath Tagore Hall, said strict action will be taken following an investigation.        

Md Shahabuddin Chuppu, who is set to become the next President of Bangladesh, is a lawyer by profession and a member of the Advisory Council of Bangladesh Awami League. Md Shahabuddin was born in Pabna in 1949 and was one of the first members of Pabna district Chhatra League, Awami League’s student wing. He would eventually become the unit’s president. In 1971, he was the convenor of the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad in Pabna, and took part in Liberation War. He became the president of the Pabna district Jubo League in 1974. Read More: Md Shahabuddin Chuppu set to become country’s next president He was imprisoned following the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He was later appointed as the Law Ministry’s coordinator in the Bangabandhu assassination case. In 1982, he joined the BCS (Judicial) Department, and in 1995, he was elected General Secretary of the Judicial Service Association. He served as the chairman of the Judicial Inquiry Commission, which investigated murders, rapes, thefts, and other crimes by BNP-Jamaat alliance’s activists and leaders following the 2001 general election. He also worked as a District and Sessions Judge and retired in 2006. He was a commissioner at Anti-Corruption Commission from 2011 to 2016. Also Read: ‘Everything is Allah’s will’: Md Shahabuddin, set to become next President of Bangladesh In the previous National Council of Bangladesh Awami League, he served as election commissioner. He earned his LLB from Rajshahi University in 1975, and completed his MSc from the same institution. Md Shahabuddin’s wife Prof Dr Rebecca Sultana, is a former joint secretary of the government. According to the schedule, the presidential election will be held on February 19 as the tenure of incumbent President Abdul Hamid nears an end. The final date for submitting nomination papers was February 12 and those will be reviewed on February 13, as per the EC. The commission set February 14 as the final date for withdrawing nominations. Voting will be held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban from 2 pm to 5 pm on February 19. According to the constitution, a new president has to be elected within 90 to 60 days prior to the end of the incumbent president's tenure. The previous presidential election schedule was announced on January 25, 2018. Abdul Hamid was elected president unopposed for the second term on February 6 though the election was slated for February 18. President Hamid is set to complete his tenure on April 23 this year

A clash between two groups of Chhatra League at Dhaka College has left at least 15 students injured. Students of North hostel and South Hostel of the college got involved in the clash around 9pm on Saturday. A student named Al Amin of South Block of Dhaka College was beaten by some students of North Block inside the campus at 8:30 pm.  Later, when the news spread in the campus, the two groups clashed using indigenous weapons, sticks, rods, and machetes. Cocktail explosions and gunfire were also heard during the clash. Witnesses said they heard at least three gunshots, and cocktails during the incident, although the college principal has denied this. Read: BCL Factional Clash: IU forms investigation panel

Police arrested two activists of Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of ruling Awami League, along with hemp from in front of the university's main entrance on Friday. The arrestees were identified as Tanu Shikder, a former student of public administration department under 2014-15 academic session and Gulhar Masud Rana Rifat, a final year student of the same department of the university. They were the activists of IU BCL unit. Tanu was also the incumbent general secretary of IU unit Muktijoddha Mancha. Acting on a tip off, a team of IU police conducted a drive in front of the university's main entrance and arrested the duo along with 25gram of hemp from their possession around 5:30pm, Islamic University police station sub-inspector Onik said. They were taken to IU police station for interrogation and legal action would be taken against them, the SI added. The process of filing a case with the police station under the Narcotics Act was underway, IU police station officer-in-charge Mostafizur Rahman said.  Alsor read: Man held with 63kg hemp