They demand withdrawal of expulsion of the accused

A small section of students of Dhaka University is agitating on the campus in demand for withdrawal of expulsion of two fellow students in connection with assault on a woman at TSC during the New year's celebrations.

The DU authorities had temporarily expelled the two--Fazlul Huq Russel and Khan Mesbahul Alam Tutul -- on the basis of a probe body's primary findings about their involvement in the assault.

Both are leaders of the ruling party backed Bangladesh Chhatra League and are in jail custody now as accused in the assault case.

The agitating students, using the banner of 'general students', brought out processions and staged demonstrations on the campus in the last few days.

These students are allegedly backed by BCL, insiders said. The student body is yet to take any action against the two accused.

They group met the Vice Chancellor and submitted a memorandum to him, some sources said.

When contacted, The university authorities however denied this.

The victim of the assault had earlier identified Russel and Tutul as the main accused in the case.

Some BCL leaders, meanwhile, alleged that those activists of their organisation involved in foiling Bangabir Kader Siddique's convention in the city recently were also involved in the assault at TSC.

"This group (activists) enjoys patronage of the university high-ups and some leaders of the ruling party" a BCL leader alleged.