Police has arrested a student of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) after the university authorities filed a case against him under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
Some students of Dr MA Rashid Hall of the university beat up the accused before handing over him to the hall authorities and then to police.
Police admitted the injured student to the Khulna Medical College Hospital. When the case was filed, he was shown arrested while being treated at the hospital.
The accused is Jahidur Rahman, a second year student of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) department. He resides at room No. 117 at Dr MA Rashid Hall.
KUET's security officer Sadek Hossain Pramanik filed the case on behalf of the university on charges of circulating provocative information in objectionable words a in a Telegram group over the visit of prime minister's India visit.
Another man named Rezwan Sam, 21, was also made accused in the case. Rezwan is a student of another institute and a member of that accused Telegram group.
Officer-in-charge (OC) of the Khan Jahan Ali police station confirmed Prothom Alo about the case and the arrest.
Hall provost, student affairs advisor and security officer took Zahidur in their custody after he was beaten up by some students. Then he was handed over to police.
After discussions with the police, plaintiff, students and the hall administration, it is learnt that Zahidur started staying in the hall two months ago. He used to spend most of his time on mobile phone and laptop.
Zahidur went to a friend in Gopalganj last Sunday afternoon. On that day, he circulated offensive language and provocative information about the prime minister's visit to India in a group on the Telegram app.
In the evening, when he returned to his hall, some students of the hall beat up Zahidur for his Telegram app activities. Later, the hall principal, student affairs advisor and security officer came to the spot and took him under their custody.
He was then handed over to the police. Police admitted Zahidur to Khulna Medical College Hospital. A case was filed by the university administration on Monday.
Sadek Hossain Pramanik, the plaintiff of the case, told Prothom Alo, "A student of BRAC University, a student of Gopalganj Science and Technology University, a student of a government college in Bhola and Zahidur used to run a group on Telegram."
He also said they made comments about the prime minister's visit to Delhi using indecent language. When the matter came to the fore, the agitated students of the hall captured Zahidur along with his laptop and mobile phone on Sunday night. "We came and handed him over to the police. I have filed a case.”
The provost of Rashid Hall, Md Hamidul Islam, told Prothom Alo, “ From several sources the students of the hall came to know that the student is involved with many anti-state activities. We discussed with him after taking him under our custody."
"He confessed to his involvement. After discussing the matter with our higher authorities, we thought we should let the police know about the situation. Later, police took him following investigating the matters."
Regarding the beating he said, “Primarily when the students talked to him they may slap him once or twice. Nothing such thing happened in front of us."
But the police said, “The students might have thrashed him a little. We took him to the hospital. According to the advice of the police, we gave our ambulance. They admitted him to the hospital."