8 JU BCL activist suspended over torturing journo

JU Correspondent || Jahangirnagar University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has suspended their 8 activists in connection with the torture of a journalist at Rabinadranath Tagore Hall of the campus. The torture took place at the university’s Rabindranath Tagore Hall at midnight.

The tortured journalist is a second-year student of the university’s Journalism and Media Studies Department.

Eyewitnesses said, ‘He was brought to the guest room by sending his friends from his room. Later he was asked to introduce himself and his friends. At the end of the introduction phase, they are asked to hang from the ceiling of the room for 5 minutes. When the journalist came down before the end of the fixed time, he was asked to put his head under the table. If he would expresses his incompetence, 4 to 5 people attacked him.’

The abused student told, ‘I was called from my room to guest room and asked to hang to the ceiling and put my head under the table. I was forced to hang. But, I could not put my head under the table.’

‘At one point I was asked to hand over the phone to them to make sure they were recording on a mobile phone. When asked to open the lock, I refused. Later they grabbed my shirt collar and attacked me. They put my phone on hold for a long time.’

Aktaruzaman Sohel, President of the University Unit of BSL, initially announced the names of 8 people as harasser after ‘cross checking’.

The 8 torturers are: Asad Haque and Arif Zaman Sejan of Anthropology Department, 46 Batch, Ziad Mirza of Economics Department, 47 Batch, Hasibul Hasan Rishad of Philosophy Department, 47 batch, Raihan Bin Habib of Anthropology Department, 47 batch, Muntasir Ahmed Tahrim of Zoology Department, 47 batch, Masum Billah of Law and Judiciary Department, 47 batch and Zahid Hasan of Chemistry Department, 48 batch.

Later they were dismissed from the BCL.

Aktaruzzaman Sohel, president of the university unit BCL told, ‘We do not want these activists to be involved in BCL politics from today. They will be considered undesirable from organizational activities. They cannot be associated with politics in any way while this committee is there.’

Professor Abdullah Hail Kafi, Provost of Rabindranath Tagore Hall, said to NewsMail, ‘I did not know about this before. Just heard, looking into the matter.’

Acting proctor of the university, AS M Firoz Ul Hasan, said, “The decision taken by the hall administration in this regard will be considered as the decision of the university administration.”

SJ