Probe body finds evidence of hall provost, house tutor's negligence

The three-member inquiry committee has found evidence of negligence of duties by several officials of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina dormitory of Islamic University in Kushtia in connection with the torture of Fulpori Khatun, a first-year student at the university.

The officials are the hall’s provost, house tutor, assistant registrar and several other officials, said a report of the committee produced before the High Court bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Razik-Al Jalil on Tuesday.

The inquiry committee was formed as allegations of torture were brought against Islamic University (IU) unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) vice-president, Sanjida Chowdhury, and four others.

Torture victim Fulpori Khatun is a first-year student of the university’s finance department. Sanjida Chowdhury and four others kept her confined in a ‘gonoroom’ of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina dormitory of the university on the night of 12 February and tortured her for over four hours.

When the matter was widely covered by the media, Supreme Court lawyer and former student of IU, Gazi M Mohsin, filed a writ petition with the court 15 February seeking legal action against those involved in the torture.

The court held a hearing on the writ on the following day and issued several directives including forming a three-member inquiry committee, ensuring security of the victim student, and keeping Sanjida Chowdhury and Tabassum outside of the campus during the time of investigation.

The court also told the committee to submit its report within seven days of forming it through the office of deputy attorney general.

The court also told the committee formed by the university authority to submit its report within 10 days through the deputy attorney general.