BCL installs 'shadow force' in RU residential halls

Although there are Chhatra League committees in all halls, the Rajshahi University Chhatra League president and vice president have created new posts of 'acting leaders', comprising their trusted aides to assign them to rule in the 11 students halls of the university.

It is as if these leaders are now in charge of all misdeeds in the halls.

According to students and the hall administration, after the new Rajshahi University Chhatra League committee was formed in October last year, two 'acting' leaders were assigned per hall on behalf of the RU Chhatra League president Mustafizur Rahman Babu and general secretary Asadulla-Hil-Galib.

Since then, there are allegations of three persons being beaten up in various halls, four evicted, 'toll' collected from two shops and a student and a party leader threatened. There are more allegations, but the students are too scared to speak out. There are also scuffles among themselves, displays of strength and clashes. The general students, hall administration, even Chhatra League leaders are helpless in face of their domination.

When asked about the matter, central Chhatra League general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan told Prothom Alo, "We are not aware of this. If appointing such acting leaders is contrary to Chhatra League's constitution, action will certainly be taken. We take measures if anyone gets involved in misdeeds using the name of Chhatra League."

Chhatra League 'acting leader' Miskat Hasan and at least 10 of his followers woke up a student at midnight, 14 May, at the Madar Bakhsh Hall and removed his bedding from the room. Later, at the intervention of senior Chhatra League leaders and the hall administration, the student got back his seat.

On 11 May clashes broke out between two factions of Chhatra League over annoyance with the acting leaders and control in the halls. Despite Niaz Morshed being the president of Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall Chhatra League, the assigned acting leader of the hall Atiqur Rahman made a 'guestroom' there without informing him. This led to an argument and later clashes. The hall administration formed a three-member high level inquiry committee to look into the matter. The committee was to submit its report in two days, but it has not submitted as yet. The day after the clashes, the Chhatra League acting leader Atiqur Rahman and a few others beat up a security guard of the hall for reportedly providing information to their opponents.

On 1 May allegations were levelled against Minhazul Islam and Shah Mukhdum Hall Chhatra League assistant secretary Mithu Mahanta for occupying Shah Mukhdum Hall Chhatra League president Tajbiul Hasan's room and threatening to kill him. Tajibul Islam later posted a message on Facebook saying that the matter had been resolved.

On 5 March during the first year admissions for the 2023-14 academic year, there were skirmishes between the leaders and activists of the university Chhatra League president and general secretary. In the evening after the incident, leaders and activists of one faction of Chhatra League wielded sticks and rods in a display of their strength at Madar Bux Hall. The students who had come for admission and their guardians panicked. Al Farabi, follower of the RU Chhatra League president and acting leader of Madar Bux Hall, Tanvir Ahmed and Sajid, follower of general secretary and acting leader of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall, and Miskat Hasan, acting leader of Madar Baksh Hall, were present at the time.

Minhazul Islam is an 'acting leader' of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall. He is also the vice president of Chhatra League. Allegations were raised against Minhazul on 21 November for threatening and torturing a student of the history department, Nikel Roy, and evicting him from the hall. On 16 January, another 'acting leader' of the same hall, Sohan Hasan, evicted a student from him room. There are allegations against Minhazul Islam and some other leaders for extorting 'toll' from mobile shops on campus and a food stall in front of Ziaur Rahman Hall on 6 and 12 March.

There were allegations against acting leader of Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall, Fazle Rabbi, and a number of his followers, for removing the bedding of a student Abir Hossain on 1 December from his room. When the incident came to light, the student was reinstated in his room. On 18 December allegations were levelled against Nawab Abdul Latif Hall acting leader Tashfiq Al Touhid for beating up a student Mofizur Rahman and ordering him to leave the hall. On 20 March Tashfiq Al Touhid and his follower Mozammel Huq allegedly locked a student Khademul Islam in his room, beat him up and threatened him for asking a return of money collected in the name of iftar.

RU Chhatra League president Mustafizur Rahman claimed that since many leaders had left the campus, these acting leaders had been appointed in order to step up pace of the organisational activities. He said that these leaders were also appointed so that a healthy political trend could be restored in the halls where there had been controversies of seat trading and other underhand deals. Regarding the various allegations against these acting leaders, he said, "There were a few stray incidents and we resolved them immediately."    

'Room-work' to take control of seats

According to sources in the administration, there are a total of 5,383 seats in 11 halls. But the number of those seeking rooms in the hall is much higher. There is competition to get a hall seat. For long there have been allegations against Chhatra League men for carrying out a seat-trading racket.

After the new RU Chhatra League committee was announced in October last year, a declaration was made by the university Chhatra League president and general secretary against such seat trading. Over the past six months there have been no open allegations of such seat trading, but behind the scenes the seat control still runs strong. In every hall the acting leaders go from room to room to carry out their 'room-work' exercise. They visit each room and record the students' names, academic year, when their studies will end and other details. They issue threats about who will or will not stay in the hall, or will have to leave.      

The students are saying that this so-called exercise is being carried out by the junior activists of the hall. They carry this out from the evening up till midnight. This disturbs the studies of the general students. Under another programme recently introduced in the halls in the name of 'Joy Bangla Blood Scheme', personal information of the students is collected from the rooms.

On 14 May, followers of acting leader Miskat Hasan carried out their 'room-work' in Madar Bux Hall. A residential student told Prothom All, "My Masters exams are on. After the exams I have to complete my thesis and will have to stay on for some more time. But the manner in which they are disturbing us every few days, I don't think I can stay on. When they come around, I just close the room and stay out for some time."

Professor AHM Mahbubur Rahman, convener of the provost council, told Prothom Alo, the provost holds all power in the halls. The provosts have been told to take action. But the hall administration is doing nothing. If they want cooperation, all measures will be taken.

According to party sources, on the night of 22 March 2022, the president of RU Chhatra League at the time, Golam Kibria, and general secretary Faisal Ahmed, announced one-year ad hoc  committees for 17 halls. These committees have become inert after the present president and secretary assigned the 'acting leaders'. Many of the hall committee leaders are inactive. Those who are still there, are unable to carry out organisational activities. They say a number of leaders in others positions of the committees have been given this duty. Many activists too have become 'acting leaders'.

The Chhatra League leaders say that there is nothing about 'acting leaders' in the constitution. These are posts created by the two top leaders of RU Chhatra League. They have adopted this strategy basically to keep the halls under their control. According to the constitution, if any top leaders of the hall committees are absent, then the university Chhatra League can place others in charge.

Due to the 11 May incident, central Chhatra league expelled the university Chhatra League joint general secretary Niaz Morshed. He was also the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall president. Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said, "These acting presidents and secretaries have been created basically to render us inactive. There is nothing in Chhatra League about any acting leader."

The Chhatra League president of a certain hall told Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, "This committee could not provide the halls with the benefits and facilities as the previous committee. They wanted to give us an assisting role, which we could not accept. That is why we are inactive."

A hall provost said that by assigning these "acting leaders" the hall administration is in a fix. Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, Wednesday, he said, if a car meant for one person is manned by two, the car is likely to face an accident. If there are excessive persons in charge of the halls, the hall administration faces danger. This is dangerous for both the hall administration and the organisation.

Professor Farid Uddin Khan of the university's department of economics said, from the very outset, one faction has lack of confidence in this committee. This led to complications. It is apparent that their organisational system is shaky. They lack discipline. This has had an impact on the halls. Chhatra League has created a sort of 'shadow administration' in all the halls. They decide who will stay in the halls or leave. Those who get seats through the hall administration, are tortured. The administration has not displayed any concern in this regard or has not responded to pleas for help. This is unwarranted in an educational environment. If the hall administration cannot strongly exert their authority, they should step down.