Over the past six years, 30 leaders and activists of Chhatra League have died in clashes within the organisation. However, the president of Bangladesh Chhatra League, a 'brother concern' of Awami League, claimed that the number will be not more than 8-10. He said over 50 of their leaders and activists had been killed in attacks by the BNP-Jamaat-Shibir clique.
Chhatra League was involved in at least 432 clashes within itself or with other organisations over the past six years. These clashes resulted in the death of at least 54. This included 39 of their own organisation. The remaining 15 included two children, general people and activists of rival organisations. Over 1500 people were injured in these fights. In these six years, 11 Chhatra League leaders and activists were killed by other student organisations.
These figures were found from reports of Prothom Alo of 1 January 2009 till yesterday, that is, 21 November 2014.
Other than that, Chhatra League has all along come to the limelight due to abductions, muggings, toll collection, tender manipulations, admission trade, assaulting teachers, attacking the media and the police and so on.
Most recently, Sumon Das, Chhatra League activist and third year BBA student of the International University was killed in clashes at Sylhet's Shahjalal University of Science and Technology between two factions of Chhatra League. This is the fourth time such clashes took place in the university over the past one year.
Over 50 educational institutions had to close down indefinitely over the past six years due to conflict and clashes of Chhatra League. Classes and exams were held up in many institutions. At least five universities had to close down several times each. Chittagong University of Science and Technology and Comilla University had to close down indefinitely three times each. The general students are suffering due to these repeated closures. The education system is being harmed.
In these six years, 163 persons have been expelled from various educational institutions due to negative activities of Chhatra League. However, these expelled students simply come back to the campus and even attend the exams.
At a recent meeting with Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the prime ministers IT advisor, Chhatra League general secretary Siddiqui Najmul Alam said that after the organisation's present committee was installed, 622 persons have been expelled from Chhatra League for anti-organisational activities. But the Chhatra League leaders themselves could not say how many of these expulsions actually came into effect. These expelled leaders and activists still attend the organisation's programmes.
When questioned in this regard during a press conference at Dhaka University's Madhur Canteen yesterday, Friday, Chhatra League president HM Badiuzzaman said, "We cannot take the law into our own hands. We expel them from the party. After that if the police or the administration doesn't take action against them, you can ask them about that."
Party conflict: On 31 March this year, Sayad Ibne Mumtaz, organising secretary of Bangladesh Agricultural University Chhatra League unit, was killed. He was a final year student of the pisciculture department.
Sayad was killed by Chhatra League leaders and activists over differences regarding classes and exams and past enmity. But the university administration did not mention anyone's name in the case. However, it expelled six Chhatra League leaders for various terms.
The police submitted a charge sheet to the Mymensingh court against 14 leaders and activists of Chhatra League in this regard. Among them, Sujoy Kumar Kundu, Rukunuzzman and Antar Chowdhury were arrested, but the first two were also released on bail. And the others, according to the police, are 'absconding'.
On 4 April this year, Rustam Ali Akhand, acting general secretary of Rajshahi University's Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall, was shot dead in his room. This fourth year political science student was a candidate for the post of hall president at the next council. It is alleged that he was killed over rivalry centred on this post. Seven years have passed since this killing, but the police are yet to identify or arrest anyone in this connection.
Also, on 15 August 2010, Chattra League leader Nasirullah Nasim was thrown off the third storey roof of Shah Makhdoom Hall of the same university and killed due to Chhatra League's inner fracas.
On 14 July this year, inner conflict led to Nayeemul Islam, student of Jessore University of Science and Technology, was hacked to death. The authorities expelled the university Chhatra League president and general secretary for involvement in the murder. The main culprit among the 12 accused in this case, university Chhatra League president Subrata Biswas, was caught and handed over to the police by his classmates. The other accused persons are regularly taking part in processions and rallies, but the police are not arresting them.
Chittagong district Lohagara upazila Chhatra League leader Touqir Islam was thrown off a train and killed on 31 August on the way back from a public meeting in Dhaka. He had got involved in an argument over where to sit, when a few activists of Satkania Chhatra League threw him off the train. He was recovered from Nimtali in Tongi and taken to Dhaka Medical College where he died. No case has even been filed in this regard.
When Awami League came to power in 2009, the first killing through Chhatra League's in-fights took place on 30 March that year. Abul Kalam Asad, general secretary of one faction of Dhaka Medical College Chhatra League, was killed in the college. The college was closed indefinitely, but the killing remains unpunished.
On 12 July 2010m activists of a faction of Chhatra League hacked to death Udayendu Sinha, a mathematics student of Sylhet MC College. On 19 July the same year Chhatra League leader Ali Reza was stabbed to death in a power struggle at Goran in the capital city. On 9 January 2011 Zubair Ahmed, student of the English department and Chhatra League activist at Jahangirnagar University, was killed in an attack by activists of the same organisation. On 16 July 2012 Chhatra League leader Abdullah Al Hasan was shot and killed in clashes between two factions of Chhatra League at Rajshahi University.
Zubair's brother Abdullah Al Mamun, a private university teacher, yesterday expressed his doubts over ever receiving justice regarding his brother's murder. He said that their mother had fallen ill even since Zubair's death. He expressed his anger at the four accused persons not being caught after they fled from the court.
Chhatra League president HM Badiuzzaman claims that not more than 8-10 have died in internal clashes over the past five years. He said that over 50 Chhatra League leaders and activists were killed in BNP-Jamaat-Shibir clashes. He told Prothom Alo yesterday that organisational action had been taken against all the incidents of intra-organisation clashes, and cases had been filed in a few incidents.
Outsiders not spared: Innocent people and students have also been killed in these clashes within Chhatra League. Even children have not been spared. Eight-year-old Arman Hossain and 25-year-old Saju Palit were killed when Chhatra League and Jubo League groups clashed on 24 June 2013 over submitting bids for a railway tender in Chittagong. Another child, Rabbi, was killed on 19 January when two groups of Chhatra League clashed at Bangladesh Agriculture University.
Jagannath Chhatra League leaders and activists openly hacked tailor shop employee Biswajit Das to death on 9 December 2012. Eight persons were sentenced to death and 13 to life imprisonment in this case. However, two of those sentenced to death and 11 to life imprisonment are 'absconding'. This is the only killing that has seen some degree of justice.
Abu Bakr, third year student of Islamic history and culture at Dhaka University, was killed in 2010 during clashes between two sides of Chhatra League at the university's F Rahman Hall.
Chhatra Dal leader killed: Tauhid Islam (26), Chhatra Dal leader of Sylhet Osmany Medical College, was killed on 4 June in an attack by Chhatra League on Abu Sina hall. Chhatra League leaders and activists killed this fourth year student id a drive to establish their control on campus.
The next day a murder case was filed against 10 persons including the medical college Chhatra League president Soumen De, general secretary Saiful Hai, organising secretary Mushfiquzzaman Akhand as well as ten more unidentified persons. The 10 named in the case were expelled from the college on 7 June.
Soumen De was arrested and issued a confessional statement on 8 June at the Sylhet chief metropolitan magistrate's court. He admitted his guilt and provided information concerning the others involved in the murder. After about a month in jail, Soumen was released on bail and is now working at the college as an intern doctor.
Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury, principal of Osmany Medical College, yesterday told Prothom Alo, "He has been expelled from the college. I have no idea about him being an intern."
Teachers, police, journalists, no one spared: Teachers, police and journalists have not been spared from Chhatra League's violence. In six years, at least 171 police and journalists have been injured by Chhatra League in 62 incidents. And in 33 incidents 74 teachers were harassed by Chhatra League leaders and activists. On 12 February 2013, a section of Chhatra League beat up Shankar Chandra Dutta, a newly appointed teacher of Barisal Brojo Mohan College, and threw him out of the college. The consequences of any Chhatra League leader being detained or arrested are not very pleasant either. The activists block the roads and damage vehicles. The police officer responsible for the arrest comes under attack.
Sporadic fights: A review of news reports over the past six years reveals Chhatra League's involvement in abductions, rape, mugging, extortion, tender bid control, admission trade, harassing girl students, forcefully occupying student hall rooms, obstructing contractual work, and other unscrupulous activities. Over a hundred Chhatra League leaders and workers have been detained or arrested in over 150 criminal incidents.
Chhatra League groups flare up and clash over the most minor issues. An analysis of the last six months' news reports in Prothom Alo shows that Chhatra League has been involved in clashes within itself over 250 times. It has clashed with other organisations over 150 times. They have been involved in evicting students from the halls, torturing them and attacking innocent people.
Abduction: Chhatra League came into the news at the outset of this year due to abductions. At least six incidents of abduction occurred in the various halls of Dhaka University alone. On 13 February Chhatra League activist Ariful Rahman abducted pisciculture student Tariqul Islam from Surjya Sen Hall and held him hostage. On 12 February detective branch (DB) of police nabbed Sir AF Rahman Hall Chhatra League organising secretary Mohammed Hafiz and joint general secretary Ferdous Rifat, but no action was taken against them.
On 28 February, Mahbubul Alam, Haji Muhammed Mohsin Hall Chhatra League organising secretary, abducted a shopkeeper of Priyangan Shopping Centre. Sohel Rana, publicity secretary of Dhaka College Chhatra League's dissolved committee, abducted AB Mainul Islam, a first year student of Farsi, from Chankharpool.
Police detained seven Chhatra League leaders and activists for abducting Farhad Islam, a businessman, from Suhrawardy Uddyan on 9 May. They are all out on bail. With the help of Chhatra League activists, the younger brother of former Chhatra League leader Utpal Saha abducted a driver on 18 November and held him hostage at Jagannath Hall, demanding ransom. After being released the next day, the driver filed a case in this regard, but no action has been taken.