I have told the committee everything, says victim

When asked for permission to use her name and photograph in the media, Fulpari Khatun readily said, "You may use it unhesitatingly." How did she, a student who had just joined the university 10 days earlier, get the courage to submit a written complaint against leaders of the ruling part student organisation? She replied, "I did nothing wrong and so I will not silently tolerate any misdeeds, injustice or oppression."

When Fulpori was speaking about this over the mobile phone on Saturday evening, she had reached her village home in Atgharia upazila of Pabna.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, this first-year student of Islamic University's finance and banking department, had come to the campus and spoke to the inquiry committee in detail of the torture inflicted upon her.

After emerging from speaking to the inquiry committee, Fulpori spoke to the newsmen there. She said, "I told the inquiry committee everything that happened to me. They listened to me very attentively." She said, "I hope that I will get justice for the wrongdoing against me. I feel insecure on the campus. I will come again in interests of the inquiry."

Fulpori has complained that she had been detained in the 'gono room' of Islamic University's Deshratna Sheikh Hall for four and a half hours and tortured on 12 February night. She said she had been tortured by the university Chhatra League vice president Sanjida Chowdhury and her followers. She had been stripped and filmed, verbally abused and threatened with death if she disclosed the incident to anyone. The student on Wednesday submitted a written complaint to the university proctor, the hall provost and the student counselor.

Regarding the incident, earlier a writ petition was filed with the High Court.

A High Court bench of justice JBM Hasan and justice Razik-Al-Jalil at a primary hearing of the writ passed a ruling along with directives.

Alongside forming a three-member committee to probe the matter, the High Court directed the university authorities to take measures so that the accused Sanjida Chowdhury and Tabassum do not stay on the campus while the investigation is ongoing.

The court, however, said the committee could summon them in interests of the inquiry. The Chhatra League leader Sanjida Chowdhury and her associate Tabassum Islam on Thursday evening left the campus.

The victim student, speaking to Prothom Alo, said the first year classes had begun on 8 February and so she stayed at the Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall as a guest of a residential student. At the fresher's reception of the department, Tabassum, a student of the 2020-21 academic year, asked who were staying at the Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall. This student raised her hand. Tabassum was angry that she had not been informed before she moved into the hall. She told her to meet her in the hall room Projapoti-2. However, as she was not feeling well, she didn't go. When she attended class on 11 February, Tabassum scolded her.

The victim student Fulpori Khatun started out for Kushtia at 9:00am from Atgharia, Pabna, with her father Ataur Rahman, a cycle-van driver, and her uncle Rabiul Islam. From Pabna city first came to Charshadipur in Kushtia. From there they took an engine-run boat to the Shilaidah ferry ghat in Kushtia. Then they came by easy-bike to Chiurhash in Kushtia city. From there they took a bus and travelled 24 km to the university campus. By then it was 12:00 noon.

The university assistant proctor Jayasree Sen was waiting for them from beforehand. She took them by a university vehicle to Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall. A police patrol car was parked outside the main gate.

Returning to campus after about a week, at 12:30pm the student began describing in detail the torture that had been inflicted upon her. Her statement was taken in the hall provost's room. The inquiry committee formed by the university administration took her statement both in writing and verbally.

Fulpori Khatun told newsmen, the members of the inquiry committee took time to listen to her description of the incident very attentively. At one point, she was taken to show them the exact place where the incident occurred. She said, "I told them what the residential hall student Chhatra League leader Sanjida and Tabassum did. I gave them the names of some others too. They were Ishrat Jahan and Halima Khatun."

She said, "The inquiry committee listened to some of my statements and I submitted a four-page statement as well. I was told to submit further statements in writing. I will do that upon my return home and then submit it."

The student's father Ataur Rahman said, "We have one demand, a proper investigation and justice so that such incidents never happen again anywhere in Bangladesh or anywhere in the world, actually."

After 5:00pm in the afternoon, assistant proctor Jaysree Sen, who was in charge of Fulpori's security, took Fulpori, her father and uncle by car to Alauddin Nagar of Kumarkhali, Kushtia, around 36km away from the campus. They started out from their village home in Atgharia, Pabna, from there.

Convener of the inquiry committee, professor of the law department, Reba Mandal, said, "Before speaking to the girl, we spoke to some other resident students of the hall to try to understand the matter. As part of on-the-spot investigations, we took the girl to 'gono rooms' Projapoti-1  and Doel-2 as well as Room 306. She described in detail what had happened in these spots."

Fulpori Khatun had first moved into Room 306 as a guest. She was later tortured in Projapoti-1 and Doel-2 'gono rooms'.

Reba Mondal said, "We are taking statements from whoever knows anything about the incident. In the interest of the investigation, we will not disclose the number of students questioned. We have so far received the names of a number of girls involved in the incident. The provost has been told to summon them. We are working with all sincerity to submit an accurate inquiry report within the correct time."

Reba Mondal was accompanied by Provost of Khaleda Zia Hall, Professor Yasmin Ara, while she was talking.

At the same time, the inquiry committee formed by the provost of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall was also carrying out investigations. The hall provost Shamsul Alam said he had formed a four-member inquiry committee based on the student's complaint. The committee had called a number of students and separately questioned them about the incident. The convener of the committee is professor of the applied chemistry and chemical engineering department, Ahsanul Huq.

The university administration has not filed any GD or case with the police station regarding the incident of a student being tortured. Speaking to Prothom Alo, proctor Shahadat Hossain said that an individual can file a case. And once the inquiry committee report is ready, there is a student disciplinary committee which will give its decision. The vice chancellor is head of that committee.

After the High Court directives, the administration did nothing other than providing security for the student on campus. No judicial inquiry committee was formed. Deputy commissioner Mohammad Saidul Islam said they have not received the court orders as yet.

The accused student Sanjida Chowdhury is known to be a follower of the university Chhatra League president Faisal Siddiqui. Faisal Siddiqui, regarding the matter, said the administration is carrying out an inquiry. Chhatra League is also investigating the matter. A decision will be taken after the investigations, no action will be taken before that.

There has been a conflict within Chhatra League at the Islamic University for the past one decade. Many general students have suffered because of their tussle for power. Many students even had to leave campus. Many senior teachers were assaulted. There has also been conflict with the administration over tender contracts. Chhatra League is particularly desperate to control the recruitment process too. It recently forced the employee recruitment board to close down. They also influence transfers within the administration. They have locked the gates of the university, staged demonstrations and damaged the vice chancellor's office, demanding that former Chhatra League leaders be given jobs in the university. Such incidents often disrupted the academic environment.

Professor Abdul Mueed of the university's department of economics has long been writing in the media about the university and the need to restore an academic environment on campus. When his attention was drawn to the situation, he told Prothom Alo that the ruling party's student organisation leaders had deviated away from political ideology. That is why it was necessary to first bring about qualitative change to national politics. Only then, he said, such incidents will not take place at the universities.