‘Proloy gang’ on the prowl on DU campus

Some students of Dhaka University (DU) have been embroiled in criminal activities on the campus late in the night forming a gang for quite some time. The gang members, all sophomore students of 2020-21 session, are involved with drug consuming, mugging, extortion and other crimes. The details of the ‘Proloy Gang’, as they call themselves, came to light  after the members beat up a fellow student recently.

The gang members become active at night, taking drugs near Suhrawardy Udyan. They meet at a room in Dr Mohammad Mortaza Medical Center on the campus every night. They frequently flaunt their meeting there by posting pictures on Facebook.

Proloy Gang members beat up a student of Sir AF Rahman Hall in front of Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall on Saturday night. Several media outlets run stories on the criminal activities of the gang members since then.

It was learnt that the gang members' criminal activities range from mugging outsiders on the campus to harassing and beating up people. Some of them are involved with the politics of ruling party student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League.

According to news reports, the gang members include Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall’s Tobarak Mia and Sifrat Sahil; Haji Mohammad Muhsin Hall’s Arnab Khan and Abu Raihan, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall’s Hedayatun Nur and Mahin Munawar; Masterda Surja Sen Hall’s Tousif Tahmid alias Arnab and Nazmul Hossain; Jagannath Hall’s Prattay Saha; Kabi Jasimuddin Hall’s Sad; information and library science department’s Sadman Tawhid alias Barshan; Parsian Language and Literature department’s Syed Nasif Imtiaz and Tahmid Iqbal alias Miraz; History department’s Badruzzaman Sajib; Marketing department’s Biplab Hasan alias Joy and Mohammad Shovon and Printing and Publication department’s Shah Alam.

First three of them led Saturday night’s attack on Sir AF Rahman Hall’s student. Among the gang members, Tawsif Tahmid and Nazmul Hossain are assistant secretaries of Surja Sen Hall unit Chhatra League. After the Saturday’s incident, the gang members cannot be reached over phone.

Several former members of the gang told Prothom Alo that the senior students would often send them to see around the campus at night from ‘guest rooms’ while they were students of first year. They would loiter around TSC, Suhrawardy Udyan, Carzon Hall and Shaheed Minar area and made such errand a habit while befriending fellow students from different halls. Some of them were already into drugs and other criminal activities and they motivated others.

The former members of the gang said seniors (Chhatra League leaders) would encourage them in such petty crimes in various ways. Some gang members have bought motorbikes and expensive mobile phones from the money earned through criminal activities.

One such student shared his experience with this correspondent. He said they would harass outsiders and couples on the campus and engage in mugging and taking tolls from them. He later left the gang.

Asked about the matter, DU proctor AKM Golam Rabbani told Prothom Alo that he came to know about the gang through news in media. The university authorities would take action against the gang members if anyone files specific allegation against them.

The proctor added they are trying to gather information on the activities of the gang members.