Return of the rapist at JU

Despite strong protest by the students of Jahangirnagar University (JU), three students who were found guilty of raping and abetting the act sat for examinations outside the campus yesterday under a special arrangement by the university authorities.

One of them, Roni of BCL, belonging to the Department of Government and Politics, was found guilty of rape by the JU Fact Finding Committee and was later suspended by the JU Syndicate.

Roni and his abettors Ferdous and Rafiq of the same department sat for their MSS examination under the "special arrangements" at a "sub-centre" at Savar Thana Health Complex yesterday.

Agitated students rushed to the Vice Chancellor's residence yesterday morning after news that the three examinees were staying there. They demanded a statement from the VC who was at the residence at that time.

As VC Prof Alauddin Ahmed refused to meet them, the students rushed to the examination office and tried to prevent the examination officials from taking their examinations. The students alleged that the authorities "illegally favoured the three students by allowing them to sit for examinations on 'sick bed' because they were not sick at all".

Meanwhile, JU Proctor Abdul Mannan Chowdhury warned the agitating students not to do anything that might jeopardise the examination of the three students. He also threatened "stern action" if the students did anything further in this regard.

The students later claimed to journalists that the rapist and his collaborators were brought to the campus by Proctor's car on Tuesday night and that they were staying at the VC's residence.

The rapist and his abettors were staying outside the campus during the last four months after they had been declared persona non grata on the campus.

Director of the Examination Office Prof Abu Sayeed Khan told newsmen yesterday that their examinations were taken under special arrangements following a special order of Vice Chancellor Prof Alauddin Ahmed as per the decision of the university Syndicate.

"I have been served with a written order by the VC in this regard," he said. He also showed the written order to the agitating students yesterday.

But VC Prof Alauddin Ahmed denied that any "special arrangement" was made for the three students.

As per rules, examinations may be held outside the campus if it is approved by the university syndicate as a special arrangement. "Such arrangements are made if a student can convincingly prove that he is sick," examination office sources said.

When contacted Tuesday night, both the chairpersons of the examination committee and the department concerned said that they knew nothing about the Syndicate decision that examinations of the three students would be taken at a "sub centre" outside the campus.

JU students expressed grave concern over the activities of the authorities' which looked like enthusiastic endeavour to "rehabilitate the rapists and their collaborators". They threatened greater movement if the authorities continued to take examinations of the culprits.

Of the three students, Roni was slapped with a one-year expulsion which was later suspended due to his 'good manners'. Two rape abettors ---Ferdous and Rafiq -- were mysteriously acquitted of charges which by the JU authorities framed as a result of student protests in September last year.

VC Prof Alauddin Ahmed was not available for his comment.