BCL expels 24 of its leaders, activists

Chhatra League last night expelled its 24 leaders and activists over the April 10 incident at Dhaka University's Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, according to a press release.

Among the expelled are Sufia Kamal Hall BCL Vice President Morsheda Akhtar, Organising Secretary Jannati Akhtar Sumi and Joint General Secretary Sharmin Akhtar Sumi. Many of them actively took part in the resent demonstration over reforms in quota in government jobs.

The release of the pro-Awami League student front, signed by its president and secretary, said the 24 were expelled from the organisation as they were “found involved in an unexpected incident”.

Iffat Jahan Isha, BCL president at Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, allegedly assaulted three students of the dormitory around 12:30am for taking part in the protest demanding reforms in the quota system.

Hearing students screaming, Morsheda, a fourth-year botany student, rushed to Iffat's room. Finding it locked, she got angry, kicked a window of the room and cut her foot.

Learning about the assault on three protesters, some students of the dormitory broke into Iffat's room and beat her up, said witnesses.

Some photos of Morsheda's injured leg were circulated on Facebook with captions saying that Iffat had cut tendons of her leg. Morsheda later received treatment at a hospital.

In a video that did the rounds on Facebook, Morsheda claimed that she had to tolerate “torture by Iffat for a long time”.

Iffat was expelled from the BCL and also from the university on that night. But making a u-turn, the BCL reinstated her just 48 hours after expelling her.

The BCL said its investigation found that Iffat was “innocent”.

Talking to The Daily Star on Friday, DU VC Prof Akhtaruzzaman said the university would withdraw its expulsion order against Iffat if she was found innocent in the DU's probe.