JU student alleges torture by Chhatra League activists

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.

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.