BCL activists torture Kushtia Univ student for over 4 hours in female hall
A first year student of Kushtia Islamic University has complained of being beaten up mercilessly by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists in a residential hall. A section of the ruling party activists led by university unit BCL vice president Sanjida Chowdhury confined the victim at a room of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina residential hall, alleged the victim.
In a written complaint to the hall provost and student advisor on Tuesday, the victim alleged that the BCL activists captured a video after taking her clothes off, harassed her and threatened to kill her if she revealed the incident to anyone. Hall’s provost Shamsul Haque confirmed Prothom Alo of the complaint.
The accused Sanjida Chowdhury is a student of statistics department of 2017-18 sessions. The other accused Tabassum is a student of finance department of 2020-21 sessions. The victim is also from the same department.
The victim told Prothom Alo on Monday night that she started staying with a residential student of the hall as the first year’s class commenced on 8 February. During a fresher’s reception event of the finance department, Tabassum asked who among the students live in Desharatna Sheikh Hasina hall. Tabassum took umbrage when she came to know that the victim lives in the hall without informing her. Tabassum asked the victim to meet her at ‘Prajapati-2’ room of the residential hall. The victim could not do so due to her illness and Tabassum rebuked her on 11 February.
The victim alleged that BCL vice president Sanjida Chowdhury summoned her to a Gana Room at around 11:00pm on 12 February. Five to six students then harassed her in various ways till 3:30am.
“They were verbally abusing me and torturing me physically. They slapped and punched me,” the victim alleged.
She said at one point of torture, a student present captured her video. They even took her clothes off. The other general students present at the Gana Room did not protest.
“They threatened me while capturing the video. They warned to publish the video and make if viral if I inform the incident to anyone,” alleged the victim.
She said the accused persons also made her utter some comments against the hall provost.
“I sought mercy from them but they did not pay any heed. They left after 3:30am. I was in the 'gana room'. I left for my village at around 9 in the morning the following day,” the victim said.
The student, who is now writhing in pain and suffering from fever, sought exemplary punishment of all the accused involved with her torture.
When asked about the allegation, BCL leader Sanjida Chowdhury replied, “Has she made any complaint to the administration?”
Later she denied the allegation saying the victim has lied and perhaps a vested quarter is spreading propaganda against her.
“I’ve come to the vice chancellor. We are submitting proof to the vice chancellor that the girl is a liar,” said the accused BCL leader.
The other accused Tabassum did not respond to several calls to her mobile phone.
Proctor Shahadat Hossain said he, along with some other teachers, are now discussing the matter with the VC.