The gang robs students, teachers, pedestrians and others of valuables after injuring them almost every day.

The gang has been continuing its operation since the tenure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government, but its members, numbering about 15, have not been staying on the campus since the state of emergency has been imposed.

After sundown, the muggers rule several places on the campus, including Fuller Road, Chankharpool to Doel Square, Shaheed Minar area, Institute of Education and Research (IER), Suhrawardy Udyan, Muhsin Hall playground and areas adjacent to Salimullah Muslim Hall.

Intelligence sources said the criminals take away mainly mobile phones, money and gold ornaments at gunpoint at night.

They also target couples gathering on the campus after the evening, taxicab drivers and rickshawpullers.

Residents of the university area said the taxicab drivers and rickshawpullers want to avoid the area after the evening.

Shahbagh police filed three cases in connection with muggings that took place on the campus on May 8, 9 and 23.

Intelligence sources and residents of the university dormitories said mainly junior leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) are involved in drug peddling and mugging.

"Some drug-addicted students and outsiders residing in Zahurul Huq Hall and Jagannath Hall are also involved in mugging and drug peddling," said Akter Morshed, a sub-inspector of Shahbagh Police Station.

He said the police arrested Titu, Sayed and Jasim from Zahurul Huq Hall and Sanjib from Jagannath Hall on charge of selling drugs in the hall recently.

Sources said several JCD activists are involved in selling pethidine and heroin. They bring the painkilling injection from Mitford area to sell on the campus while heroin is brought from Bogra and Jessore and Phensidyl from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria.

The gang had used the hawkers and vendors to sell the drugs, but as they were evicted from the campus recently, the homeless people who stay on pavements on the campus are being used in drug peddling and mugging.

Intelligence sources said the members of the mugging syndicate reside in Lalbagh area and engage the street children in mugging.

Although mugging incidents take place almost everyday, only a few cases are filed with the police, they said.

As drugs are available in certain places on the campus, it is easy for many students to become addicts. In most cases, the drug addicted students resort to mugging to get money for the drugs.

On May 30, the authorities of Zahurul Haq Hall expelled a resident, Toufiqul Islam Russell, as he is a drug addict.

Most looted mobile phone sets are sold to a certain cellphone shop at Hatirpool, a source linked to the mugging syndicate said.

When contacted, DU Proctor Prof AKA Firoz Ahmed said the university authorities depend on law enforcement agencies for maintaining law and order on the campus. "We have asked the police to reinforce their vigilance on the campus."