United News of Bangladesh

GM Masud Rana Jewel, principal of Abadpukur College and vice-president of the Raninagar upazila unit of Awami League (whose activities are banned across the country), was seriously injured in an attack on the college premises in Raninagar upazila on Sunday. The attackers allegedly beat Jewel, breaking one of his arms and both legs, before setting fire to his motorcycle. The incident occurred at around 12:15pm when Jewel went to the college to rejoin his post following a High Court order. Salauddin Ahmed, acting principal of Abadpukur College, said Jewel was sitting in the office room and drinking tea when a group of people dragged him outside and beat him. They also set fire to his motorcycle, he said. Police were informed immediately and rushed to the spot, bringing the situation under control. Jewel was then rescued and taken to Naogaon Sadar Hospital. Salauddin said he could not identify those involved in the attack. According to him, several people had filed written complaints with different authorities after August 5, alleging that Jewel had taken lakhs of taka from people on promises of providing them jobs at the college. He said Jewel was temporarily suspended from his post about two years ago following the allegations and his absence from the college after August 5. Jewel later obtained a High Court order for reinstatement. Acting on the court order and a directive from the college's current president, Raninagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Rakibul Hasan, he went to the college on Sunday to rejoin his post. Jewel's brother Prince Ahmed said a group of people assaulted both him and his brother when they went to the college. "My brother suffered a broken arm and both his legs were fractured in the attack," he said. UNO Md Rakibul Hasan said he was attending a meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's office when he was informed of the incident. "After receiving the news from the acting principal, I immediately sent police to the spot. We are investigating who was involved in the incident," he said. Zakaria Mondal, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Raninagar Police Station, said police rushed to the college and brought the situation under control. Efforts are on to identify those involved, he said. The OC said no written complaint had been received yet and that legal action would be taken after a complaint was filed. Meanwhile, Jewel's wife Roksana Parvin, a lecturer at Raninagar Sher-e-Bangla College, said on Monday morning that his condition deteriorated while he was undergoing treatment at Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital. He was transferred to Dhaka on Sunday night and is currently undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), she said.

Swapan Kumar Biswas,  acting principal of Mirzapur United College in Narail, returned to work on Wednesday, 45 days after he was humiliated following a rumor over a Facebook post by a student. The teachers and students welcomed Swapan Kumar at the college campus at 12 pm with floral garlands, said Advocate Achin Chakraborty, president of Mirzapur College Board of Directors. Meanwhile, the students have started coming to the college after reopening of the college of July 24. But police are still deployed on the college campus to avoid any untoward incidents. The college remained closed for 36 days after the incident At first classes of 12the grade resumed and then classes of 11th grade and degree level resumed gradually. On July 17, the High Court ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. The National University and the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education have already completed two separate investigations. After the investigation, the National University issued a show-cause notice on the governing body of the college and Akhtar Hossain, a lecturer of the political science department of the college. On June 18, a Hindu student of Mirzapur United Degree College made a post on Facebook supporting suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. There was day-long unrest in the college over the post and rumors that acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas had sided with the student, following which police escorted him out of the campus but not before he was garlanded with shoes. Read: Narail teacher's humiliation: 4 put on 3-day remand The college was announced closed on that day. A video of the incident also went viral on social media that sparked huge criticism. Different organisations, including Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, lodged protests over the incident and demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in it. Later, the accused, who made the Facebook post, was arrested and a case was filed against him under the Digital Security Act. On June 27, three more were arrested in another case filed at the Sadar Police Station police for setting teachers’ vehicles on fire and obstructing police duty. Police also arrested Rahmat Ullah Roni, the prime accused in this case, from Khulna on June 29. The day before reopening of the college, police arrested Ripon Sheikh Ripu,16, a student of class eleven of the college, for being involved in setting fire to motorcycles of the teachers after identifying him from the video footage. So far nine people, including four students of the college, have been arrested over the incident, said Md Mahamudur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Narail Sadar police station and also investigation officer of the case.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) on Monday recovered the dismembered body of the principal of Ashulia Residential School and College, who remained missing for almost a month, from Savar and Ashkona in the city's Dakkhin Khan area. Rab also arrested three persons in connection with the murder of 36-year-old Principal Mintu Chandra Barman. The arrestees were identified as Rabiul Islam and Motaleb—two founding members of the school and Rahim Badsha, nephew of Rabiul. Also read: Body comes up of fisherman who went missing at sea Mintu Barman, son of Sharat Barman of Hatibandha upazila on Lalmonirhat district, along with Motaleb, Shamsuzzaman and Rabiul Islam had established the school after renting a building at Jamgara Beron area in Savar two years back. Since then Mintu has been holding the post of principal and used to live at the adjacent building of the school on rent. On July 13, Mintu went missing and did not return home. Dipak Chandra Barman, younger brother of Mintu lodged a general diary at Ashulia Police Station on July 22, said Commanding officer of Rab-4, Lieutenant Rakib Mahmud Khan. During investigation, the elite force detained Rabiul, Motaleb and Badsha and following the confessional statement by them, Rab recovered the body of Mintu. Mintu was killed at the school following an enmity over the ownership of the school and his body has been cut into six pieces. Also read: Medical student’s hanging body found in Dhaka The arrestees covered the five parts of the body in the school field while the head on the water body in the Ashkona area, said Rab.