Eden BCL clash: President, GS sued by expelled VP

As tensions have been running high between two factions of Eden Mohila College Chhatra League, eight leaders and activists of the unit, including its president and general secretary, were sued yesterday for "attempting to kill its vice-president".

Jannatul Ferdowsi, a vice-president of Eden BCL, filed the case with a Dhaka court yesterday, after the recent clashes between the unit's leaders and activists.

The accused are unit President Tamanna Jasmine Riva, General Secretary Razia Sultana; and unit leaders Nuzhat Faria alias Roksana, Ayesha Islam alias Mim, Nur Jahan, Ritu Akhter, Anika Tabassum Swarna and Kamrun Nahar Jyoti.

After a hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mostafa Reza Nur recorded the complainant's statement, took cognisance of the case and directed the officer-in-charge of Lalbagh Police Station to submit a report by October 24 after an investigation.

In her complaint, Jannatul said that on September 22, she gave an interview to the media about Riva and Razia being involved in various illegal activities.

Following this, some of their supporters, along with Roksana, Meem and Jyoti, threatened to kick her out of the college dormitory.

Around 10:00pm on September 24, Swarna and three or four others, armed with "homemade weapons" entered Jannatul's dorm room and conducted "a search", upon Riva and Razia's orders.

As they did not find anything incriminating against her, they damaged her furniture, stole Tk 20,000 from her wardrobe and a laptop worth Tk 34,000. They also threatened to "kill" those who were there, the complainant said.

Later that day, Riva, Razia and six others surrounded Jannatul while she was returning to her room. They then attacked her with hockey sticks in front of Ayesha Hall. Razia and some others even tied a scarf around her throat to strangle her to death, the case statement said.

After Jannatul fell senseless from asphyxiation, the accused left the scene thinking she was dead. They, however, snatched the chain she wore and her mobile phone worth Tk 55,000, before leaving.

Some teachers then came to her rescue and took her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

After that, Jannatul went to Lalbagh Police Station to file a case against those who attacked her.

The police, however, did not register her case and asked her to go to a court instead.

The Eden College BCL has been making headlines over the past several days after the attack on Jannatul in the presence of its president and GS.

A day after the attack, Riva and Razia, along with some other leaders, held a press conference on the college premises, regarding Riva being "unwanted" by the rival group over allegations of blackmailing students into doing unethical work, hall seat trade, extortion, and torture.

The meeting ended with a violent clash between the two groups.

The college BCL unit has been mired in controversy and intra-party feud since the announcement of the committee on May 13.

Riva said the allegations against her came from "those who were unable to get their expected posts in the committee". She said they have, since then, been trying to stir controversy against the top leaders.

Meanwhile, the central BCL on Monday suspended the organisational activities of the unit until further notice and expelled 17 leaders and activist who brought the allegations against Riva and Razia.

The Eden College authorities have formed a four-member probe committee to investigate the recent clashes.