BCL men go rowdy at DU dormitory
Chhatra League leaders and activists at Dhaka University's Bijoy Ekattar Hall early yesterday tried to force residents to accommodate their men who had been living in a common room.
Following complaints, resident teachers and the hall provost went there around midnight and tried to stop them, witnesses told The Daily Star.
Soon, an altercation ensued between hall residents and some 70-80 BCL men, led by BCL hall unit President Fakir Rasel Ahmed and General Secretary HM Nayan Howladar.
The activists brought out a procession chanting slogans and shouting expletives, chased teachers and shattered windows of the room of Provost AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, who was inside, and beat up a journalist, added the witnesses.
Normalcy returned around 4:00am after Proctor M Amzad Ali and DU BCL President Abid Al Hasan went there and held talks with the leaders of the pro-Awami League student organisation.
A student of Padma block said: “We were preparing to go to bed around midnight. Suddenly, we heard loud noises and saw some Chhatra League men outside our room.”
“They tried to force us to take two activists in and two others in the next room,” said the student wishing anonymity.
The campus reporter of the United News of Bangladesh, Imran Hossain, passed out and was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after being beaten up with cricket stumps by some 12-15 BCL activists and Nayan's followers, alleged witnesses.
Imran's roommate MH Farid said the reporter had an altercation with BCL men over allowing a Chhatra League activist to stay in his room.
Opened in 2013, the hall now houses around 1,400 students against its capacity of 1,000 students.
The common room was being used as an indoor games room until recently, when the BCL leaders brought along their activists attached to the hall.
A similar situation prevails in nearly all the 22 DU halls due to lack of space, said DU students.
About forcing resident students to let BCL men stay in, Nayan said, “Our Dhaka University unit leaders often criticise us for the poor number of Chhatra League activists at the hall. Why would the activists attend our programmes if we cannot secure seats [rooms] for them?”
On the vandalism, he said it was in retaliation against confining four or five activists in the room by teachers. The provost, however, said none was confined.
Nayan claimed that BCL men assaulted Imran over misbehaving with them. “But I can't take responsibility as they did it without my permission.”
DU BCL President Abid Al Hasan said they would take action against those responsible for the trouble.
The hall administration formed a three-member committee to probe the incident. The proctor said exemplary punishment will be given to those found guilty on the basis of the findings of the probe.
BCL EXPELS FIVE
The BCL last night expelled five of its activists from the organisation for their involvement in the vandalism of Bijoy Ekattor Hall, SM Jakir Hossain, general secretary of the student front, told The Daily Star.
The five are Tunal Shiekh and Sajib of physiology department, Salauddin and Mahfuz Ahmed of Urdu department and Sakib of marketing department.
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