Assault on Fulpori: IU authorities yet to see probe report

The Islamic University (IU) authorities have not yet taken any action on their own regarding the assault on first-year student Fulpori by several activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on the campus.

They did not even go through the report submitted by the probe committee after looking into the allegations. The authorities, however, executed the directives issued by the High Court.

Four separate committees were formed by the university, the hall, BCL, and the district administration. They all have found the allegations that Fulpori underwent physical and mental torture to be true.

Mahbubur Rahman, pro vice chancellor (VC) of the university, told Prothom Alo that the report has not been opened as yet because the VC was on leave. The disciplinary committee is scheduled to hold a meeting at 12:00 pm on Saturday, with the VC in the chair.

“Things will be clear after the meeting,” he added.

Five BCL activists, including IU unit vice president Sanjida Chowdhury, confined Fulpori in a room at Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall and tortured her for around four and a half hours. She lodged complaints to four offices of the university, disclosing her ordeal.

As the issue reached the courtroom, the High Court ordered the university authorities to suspend the five BCL activists from all sorts of academic activities. It also ordered to suspend the provost of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall, Shamsul Alam, immediately and allot a seat for Fulpori in the residential hall as per her choice.

At the same time, superintendents of police (SPs) in Kushtia and Pabna, in addition to the university administration, were asked to ensure the safety to Fulpori.

The five BCL activists have been suspended from the hall and the party and are now staying outside the campus.

While talking to Prothom Alo, Fulpori Khatun said she wants the university authority to expel all the accused.