Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)
DU student assaulted ‘by BCL man’ for not offering salam
A student of Dhaka University was assaulted allegedly by an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Masterda Surja Sen Hall for not greeting him by saying salam.
Sajjadul Haque Sayedee, a student of Department of Anthropology of 2018-19 academic session and a resident student of Surya Sen Hall, lodged a written complaint against Mankiur Rahman, a student of Political Science department and a follower of Chhatra League general secretary of the hall unit Siam Rahman, with the hall administration regarding the physical assault.
Also read:DU student 'assaulted' for missing BCL event ahead of hall conference
"On Tuesday night, I was attending an online class at that time when some BCL activists stepped into my room. As I was busy in my class I couldn't greet them by saying salam. Being angered, BCL activist Manikur Rahman slapped me and kicked me", he wrote in his letter.
“Manikur scolded me and my roommates for not attending their programme and threatened me for not greeting them. When I stood up after disconnecting the Zoom link, he slapped me and kicked me in the chest and threw me away," he added.
Manikur did not receive the phone call when the correspondent tried to contact him for comment.
Also read: DU student allegedly thrashed by Jagannath Hall Chhatra League leader
Admitting the incident of beating, Chhatra League general secretary of the hall unit Siam Rahman said ,"The incident that happened last night is totally unexpected. I will settle the issue with them this afternoon."
Surya Sen hall provost prof. Mokbul Hossen Vuiyan said, " I have received the complaint letter and formed a three-member probe committee to investigate the incident within three working days. Action will be taken if the allegation is proved true."
Cops raid CU residential halls, seize weapons & petrol bombs
Police on Thursday claimed to have seized a large cache of locally made weapons and petrol bombs from two residential halls of Chittagong University (CU).
The seizure was made following a special drive after two days of clashes between two rival factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), officials said.
Read:Army operation in Bandarban: Weapons, huge amount of ammunition and equipment recovered
University proctor Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan said the university authorities and the local police raided Suhrawardy Hall and Shah Amanat Hall of the university in the small hours of Thursday.
During the two-hour drive, petrol bombs, petrol bomb-making materials and several locally made weapons were found in a number of dormitories of the two halls.
However, no one has been arrested in connection with the seizure, officials said.
Earlier on Tuesday, a clash broke out between two BCL sub-groups -- Bijay and CFC -- over attempts to enter a concert organised by the economics department of the university.
Read: BSF reaffirms to use non-lethal weapons on border
Later on Wednesday evening, these groups clashed again with sharp weapons, sticks and rods. Members of the two groups also hurled bombs at each other.
They also held a rally at Chattogram railway station with weapons around 9pm. Later, the university authorities brought the situation under control with help from the police.
Four people have been injured in another ensuing clash, said the proctor.
Prof Selim's death: Kuet halls reopen, classes to resume on Jan 9
Residential halls of Khulna Engineering and Technology University (Kuet) reopened on Friday after remaining closed over the unusual death of Prof. Dr Mohammad Selim Hossain.
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of Kuet syndicate on Thursday morning, said Pratik Chandra Biswas, president of the teachers' association.
The university administration also announced to hold classes from January 9.
Read: Kuet teacher’s death: BCL general secretary, 3 others expelled
On behalf of the association, the university administration also decided to buy a Sanchayapatra of Taka 10 lakh to give it to Selim's daughter Jannatul Ferdous.
The association also demanded a permanent job in Kuet for Selim's wife according to her educational qualifications.
It also called for starting the judicial process to put those responsible for his death on trial.
Prof Selim’s death: Kuet issues show-cause notice to 44 students
Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) authorities on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to 44 students over the unnatural death of its teacher Md. Selim Hossain.
The students were asked to respond to the notice by January 3.
Read: Prof Selim’s death: Closure of KUET extended again until Jan 6
Earlier on December 3, the university was declared closed till December 13 as tension gripped the campus over his death allegedly due to mental torture and harassment by some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists.
Then the closure was extended till December 23.
On December 23, the Kuet authorities decided that the dormitories will reopen on January 8 and classes resume on January 9.
Besides, a five-member probe committee was formed to investigate the death.
Prof Selim, 38, a teacher of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department at the university, was also the provost of Lalan Shah Hall.
Read: Kuet Prof. Selim’s body exhumed for autopsy
According to faculty members of the university, Prof Selim died hours after some Chhatra League activists led by Sadman Nahyan Sejan, general secretary of Kuet Chhatra League, allegedly confined the teacher to his office and mentally tortured him to accept their choice as dining manager of Lalan Shah Hall for December.
During this confinement the teacher was allegedly subjected to abuses, humiliation and threat, his colleagues said.
Prof Selim’s death: Closure of Kuet extended till Dec 23
The closure of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) has been extended till December 23 amid tension gripping the campus over the unusual death of Prof. Dr Mohammad Selim Hossain.
The decision was taken at a virtual meeting of Kuet syndicate on Sunday night, said spokesperson of KUET’s Public Relations and Information Department Robiul Islam Sohag.
Read: Prof Hossain's death: KUET temporarily suspends 9 students
Earlier on December 3, the university was declared closed till December 13 over the death of Prof. Dr Selim Hossain allegedly due to mental torture and harassment of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists. The students were asked to leave their residential halls by 4:00 pm on that day.
Besides, a five-member probe committee was formed over the death which was asked to submit its report within 10 days.
But the committee could not complete the investigation by this time. Considering the recommendation of the probe body, the authorities extended the closure of the institution.
Prof Selim, 38, a teacher of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department at the university, was also the provost of Lalan Shah Hall.
Read: KUET BCL tries to distance itself from professor’s death after meeting
According to faculty members of the university, Prof Selim died hours after some Chhatra League activists led by Sadman Nahyan Sejan, general secretary of Kuet Chhatra League, allegedly confined the teacher to his office and mentally tortured him to accept their choice as dining manager of Lalan Shah Hall for December.
During this confinement the teacher was allegedly subjected to abuses, humiliation and threat, his colleagues said.
BCL dissolves Islamic University unit committee
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, has dissolved its Islamic University unit committee.
A statement, signed by BCL central committee president Al Nahian Khan Joy and its general secretary Lekhak Bhattacharya, was issued in this regard on Wednesday.
Read:Islamic University waives transport, hall fees from period of Covid-19 closure
The central committee’s general secretary told UNB that they had taken the decision to dissolve the university unit committee at a meeting of the executive body.
‘We’ve invited applications for the posts of president and general secretary in the next committee, which will be formed soon," BCL central committee's social service affairs secretary Shaikh Shadhin M Shahed said.
Read: Islamic University to start final exams from Sept 12
Aspiring candidates must submit their CV to the central committee within seven days, he added.
SM Robiul Islam Polash and Rakibul Islam served as the president and the general secretary, respectively, on the previous committee.
5 freshmen beaten up at DU hall for hailing end to guest room culture
Five students of Dhaka University's Sir AF Rahman Hall were allegedly beaten up by seniors, also Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, following a Facebook post on Thursday.
The victim students are-- Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hamid of Management department, Bulbul Ahmed and Rana Hossain of Islamic Studies department and Md Emdadul of Finance department. They all are first year students residing in the hall.
The accused students are Lalon Hossain of Geography and Environment department, Ariful Islam Arif and Asif Hossain of Marketing Department and Wajid Tawsif of Music Department. The accused are all second year students and Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists.
Sources from the hall said recently, a first year student and resident of the hall was beaten up seriously. After that, the organizing secretary of BCL hall committee Saleh Uddin Saju issued an instruction to end the 'Guest Room culture' in the hall.
Read:Female student complains of harassment at DU dorm
The 'guest room culture' refers to a practice whereby senior students, particularly politically active ones -usually BCL leaders now- gather junior students in a hall room under the pretext of political sensitisation sessions to more casual get-togethers.
But these sessions have long been criticized as the setting for seniors to harass and torture junior students physically and mentally.
That's why residents of the hall posted their positive reactions on Facebook to the instruction by Saju, welcoming it.
However, the accused BCL activists called all the first-year students of the hall to the guest room and harassed them.
The five students were later beaten separately by the four second-year students around 10pm on Thursday, said a first-year student at the hall, who declined to be named.
He added that BCL leader Lalon Hossain had beaten up the students. The accused tortured them in various ways till 12am.
The victims declined to comment fearing further torture.
When contacted, accused Lalon Hossain flatly denied the allegations. "There was no guest room in the hall, and no such incident of torture took place," he said.
Read: DU authority asks public not to enter campus unnecessarily
Meanwhile, Saleh Uddin Ahmed Saju, who had given the positive instruction against guest room culture, said he discussed the matter with everyone after being informed. But the victims said nothing in this regard.
Saju said he has warned everyone not to let such incidents happen again.
Professor Saiful Islam Khan, Provost of Sir AF Rahman Hall, told UNB that he had not received any complaint from the students.
"I heard about it from the media," he said.
"We need the permission of the administration to hold any kind of congregation in the guest room. No such permission was taken regarding this. However, I have asked the house tutor of the concerned block to look into the matter," the provost added.
24 people sued over clashes at Chittagong Medical College
A case has been filed against 24 people in connection with the clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on Chittagong Medical College (CMC) campus.
A section of BCL, led by Toufiqur Rahman, a 5th year student, lodged the complaint against 16 identified and eight unidentified people with Panchlaish Police on Saturday night, said officer-in-charge Zahidul Kabir.
Read: Chittagong Medical College closed indefinitely after clashes
Police also arrested Raktim Dey, 21 and Enamul Hossain alias Shimanto, 21, 2nd year students of the medial college, on Saturday night.
They are also number 11 and 15 accused in the case.
CMC was shut down on Saturday for an indefinite period following a series of clashes between two factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on its campus.
Earlier, at least three CMC students were injured in clashes between two groups of BCL of the medical college unit over establishing their dominance on the campus.
The three injured -- Mahfuzul Haque, 23, Naimul Islam, 20 and Md Akib Hossain, 20— were admitted to the CMCH.
Meanwhile, Akib Hossain underwent a surgery and has been kept at the ICU of the hospital, said Ranjan Kumar Nath, head of the ICU department of the hospital.
Campus sources said the two BCL groups-- one loyal to a former mayor and another loyal to a junior minister--locked in a clash on Friday night.
In a sequel to it, they engaged in clashes on Saturday morning and chased each other forcing the authorities to close the college for an indefinite period.
Read: 2 killed, 30 injured in clash over dominance in Narsingdi
Panchlaish Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Jahedul Kabir said the clash began on Friday night as the supporters of two groups locked into an altercation over their internal affairs.
As a sequel to the internal feud, the OC said they again engaged in clashes in the morning, leaving a few students injured.
A five-member probe committee, led by Dr Motiur Rahman, was formed to look into the incident.
The probe body was asked to submit a report within the next seven working days.
10 JCD men hurt ‘in BCL attack’ on DU campus
At least 10 activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) were injured as some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men allegedly attacked them on Dhaka University campus on Sunday.
JCD convener Rakibul Islam claimed that at least 10 activists were injured in the attack and they were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
Read:DU: JCD activists, campus journo attacked by BCL
"BCL men carried out the attack around 10:00 am while we were marching towards TSC with a procession protesting our leaders’ arrest. BCL men attacked us in front of BNCC building (Saheed Rumi Bhaban) without any provocation,” he said.
Amanulla Aman, JCD Dhaka University unit member secretary, Mamun, Muhsin hall unit president, Masum, Fazlul Haque hall unit president, Didar, a member of DU convener committee, were among the injured.
Read:BCL leader among 2 held for attack on govt official in Kurigram
Chhatra League Dhaka University unit general secretary Saddam Hossain said, “It is normal that general students prevent them who do politics by anarchic activities.”
Police complaint filed against Prof Asif Nazrul over controversial Facebook post
A police complaint has been filed against Dhaka University Prof Asif Nazrul over his controversial Facebook post hinting at a Kabul airport-like situation in Bangladesh "if fair elections are held".
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the students' wing of the ruling Awami League, filed the complaint at the Shahbagh police station on Wednesday night, said acting officer-in-charge Moudud Howlader.
Read:National Mourning Day observed at DU
"His remarks have tarnished the country's image," as per the complaint.
Police on Thursday claimed to have received the complaint from BCL's human resource development secretary Md Nahid Hasan Shahin, but said that no FIR was filed in connection with the general diary entry.
“The complaint has been accepted as a general diary entry. As the allegation pertains to cyber security, we will take further steps only after consultation with the detective branch of the cyber unit," Moudud said.
Read RNPP contractor Asif Hossain secures HC bail
In his Facebook post on 17 August, the law professor wrote: "The scenario of Kabul Airport could also take place in Bangladesh as well, if fair elections were held here."
Enraged by the Facebook post, BCL on Wednesday even locked his office at the university’s law department.