Youths made to do squats for playing on DU field, DUCSU member faces outrage on social media

Several teenagers and young men were forced to hold their ears and do squats for coming to play on the central field of the University of Dhaka, allegedly by Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) member Sarba Mitra Chakma. 

DUCSU Sports Secretary Arman Hossain was also present at the scene. The incident has triggered widespread criticism on social media.

A video of the incident went viral on Facebook Sunday. The footage shows around 30 teenagers and young men standing in a line at the southeastern corner of the university’s central field, holding their ears and doing squats. Sarba Mitra Chakma can be seen standing in front of them holding a stick. The incident reportedly took place on 6 January.

Many social media users have expressed anger over the incident. Ismail Nahid, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, wrote on Facebook, “Today I saw DUCSU member Sarba Mitra Chakma, nominated from the Shibir panel, making a group of young boys hold their ears and do squats, while charging around with a stick. Out of fear, the boys were doing squats holding their ears.”

Md Abidur Rahman (Mishu), member secretary of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at Masterda Surja Sen Hall, also shared the video on Facebook, writing, “This time, Shibir’s own DUCSU member Sarba Mitra Chakma has taken the role of the proctor into his own hands and is making children hold their ears and do squats. Their ‘crime’ was coming to play on the university field.”

“If the children committed any wrongdoing, it is the university administration’s responsibility to deal with it. This is a sample of Shibir’s system of rule. This is what they are doing by capitalising on a little bit of power,” added the Chhatra Dal leader in his post.

Responding to the criticism, Sarba Mitra Chakma posted a Facebook status explaining his position. In the post, he referred to an incident on 14 October last year, when a student from the Department of Political Science reportedly lost his bicycle while practising on the central field.

He wrote, “There are many such incidents happening regularly. When we apply to the administration, files for wall repairs come back with the response that there is no budget. Meanwhile, our students lose mobile phones, wallets, bicycles every day.”

“Despite repeated warnings, they come, throw bricks at staff, and flee by jumping over the wall. The condition of the wall is deplorable. In the face of administrative non-cooperation, what more can be done for students?” Sarba Mitra added in his post.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Sarba Mitra Chakma said, “Students have expectations from me. When outsiders regularly come to the field, throw bricks and stones, and do not listen even after repeated warnings, then I also have to do something from that position, don’t I?”

Attempts to contact the university administration for comment were unsuccessful. Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed did not respond to phone calls or WhatsApp messages.