Two accused BCL men sit for exams

Two activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Chittagong University, who were accused of murdering Sanskrit student Taposh Sarker during a factional clash last year, appeared at their third-year final examination yesterday.

Rubel Dey and Shaharid Shuvo, both students of English, were among 30 BCL activists accused in the murder case.

On information, their rival BCL faction demonstrated on the campus, demanding their arrest.

Meanwhile, BCL's Rajshahi University unit Organising Secretary Kawsar Ahmed Koushik, who is accused in an abduction and extortion case, assaulted a student and robbed him of his money and mobile phone yesterday.

Talking about the Taposh murder case, CU Proctor Ali Asgar Chowdhury said it was not the university administration's duty to check if the examinee was an accused; police would do that.

Officer-in-Charge of Hathazari Police Station Mohammad Islmail said the investigation officer of the case was on leave and without him verifying the identity of the accused, they could not make any arrest.

Taposh, a first-year student of Sanskrit of CU, was shot dead when two shuttle train-based factions of the BCL clashed on December 14, 2014, trying to establish supremacy.

Taposh belonged to the group Choose Friends with Care (CFC), and Rubel and Shaharid to Varsity Express (VEx).

Protesting the incident of the two sitting for the exam, BCL activists led by the incumbent general secretary and former CFC member, Fazle Rabby Sujan, demonstrated around 1:00pm and urged the proctor's office to take legal action against the two.

During the clash, police had arrested Rubel along with 10 other activists but he was released on bail on July 13 this year. Shaharid had been on the run.

Proctor Ali Asgar said, “We will look into the matter after talking to the vice chancellor.”

At RU, Sumon Reza, a master's student of material science and engineering, was assaulted and robbed while he was talking to a female friend in front of Mannujan Hall.

He said Koushik and three others came to them suddenly.

"Out of the blue, Koushik snatched my mobile phone, wallet, and the university identity card and asked me to leave the place immediately," he said.

"While I tried to say something, he slapped and kicked me."

There was Tk 5,000 in the wallet, he said.

Sumon filed an extortion case with Motihar Police Station yesterday, making Koushik the prime accused and three others as anonymous accused, said Humayun Kabir, the officer-in-charge.

Talking over the phone, Koushik denied the allegations.

However, when asked about his arrest because he was also accused in a case for abducting a private university graduate and extorting Tk 20,000 from him in mid-June, the OC said police did not see him on the campus.

Mizanur Rahman Rana, BCL's president at RU, declined to comment, saying the unit had earlier recommended that the central committee should expel Koushik.

Ex-office secretary of BCL's central committee Sheikh Russel said they received the recommendation but could not carry it out due to the forthcoming council of the organisation, held on July 25-26.