CU's visually impaired student 'assaulted by BCL man'

A member of Chittagong University's Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) unit allegedly beat up a visually impaired fellow student for touching him accidentally on Sunday.

BCL is the student wing of ruling Awami League.

The victim Shukkur Ali, a third-year student of Philosophy department of the university, alleged that Chhatra League activist Morshedul Alam abused and beat him over a trivial matter.

Morshedul started abusing and beating Shukkur after the victim had touched him accidentally with elbow while buying dinner from a stall on the campus around 8:30pm on Sunday, alleged Shukkur.

“I had a surgery in my left eye seven months ago. Both my eyes are disabled. He asked me to stand still when I accidentally touched him. We had a brawl at the time,” he said.

“At one point he started assaulting me. My classmates rescued me and admitted to the university medical centre,” he added.

Shukkur may have to be transferred to Chittagong Medical College Hospital if his pain in the eye is not relieved by medication, according to Shubhashish Chowdhury, a medical officer of the university medical centre.

Terming Morshedul a drug addict, a number of classmates of Shukkur said, Morshedul beat a rickshaw puller a few days ago. Yet the university authorities did not take any actions against him, they alleged.

Morshedul, a student of Management department, could not be reached over phone.

Meanwhile, CU students protested demanding the arrest of Morshedul Alam by Monday in front of the Suhrawardy Hall from 9:30pm to 10:00pm on Sunday.

The president of university unit Chhatra League Rezaul Haque said, "Beating a visually impaired student is inhumane. Organisational action will be taken against him if the accusation is proved to be true. We do not support such incidents by any means.”

Assistant proctor Hanif Mia said, “Shukkur sustained an injury in the left eye due to the attack. Action will be taken after receiving a written complaint on Monday.”