JU BCL seize 18 buses ‘following altercation’ with staff

A section of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit have seized some 18 buses of two companies operating on the Dhaka-Aricha route, alleging misconducts against the drivers and their assistants.

The BCL men from the university's Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall seized the buses around 3:30 pm on Friday, and they were lined up before the Joy Bangla Gate on the campus until 6:30 pm.

While visiting the spot in the afternoon, it was seen that the students were stopping Aricha-bound Baishakhi Paribahan buses and collecting keys from the drivers. Five buses of Moumita Paribahan and 13 of Baishakhi Paribahan were parked beside the Dhaka-Aricha highway.

Nishat Siddiqui, a student of the university’s 49th batch and an activist of the Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall unit BCL, said when he was returning to the campus from Mohakhali in Dhaka, the Baishakhi Paribahan coach was running slowly and stopping frequently to pick up passengers here and there.

As he requested not to stop frequently and drive at a fair speed, the driver hurled abuses at him. Upon learning his identity as a JU student, the driver and his assistant also made derogatory comments regarding the campus.

It led to an altercation and the driver threatened to beat him up after reaching Savar. In response, he seized the buses along with fellow students, demanding a trial over the misbehaviour, he said, adding that they will release the buses once the owner comes along with the driver.

However, the situation took a different turn when Jubayer Ahmed, vice president of BCL’s JU unit and a student of the 45th batch, appeared in the scene and claimed that the staff of Moumita Paribahan misbehaved with him. As per his instruction, his juniors started to seize coaches of Moumita Paribahan.

Conversations with students revealed that there is no authenticity to Jubayer Ahmed’s claim.

On the condition of anonymity, a BCL leader from Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall said Jubayer completed his academic studies long ago and does not stay at the hall regularly. He stays in the Savar area but is active in BCL politics on the campus.

Asked about the issue, Jubayer Ahmed said he had an altercation with the staff of a Moumita Paribahan bus on Friday morning when he was returning to the campus from Narayanganj, and the bus refused to move ahead after reaching the Fulbaria area of Savar. At one stage, the staff hit him out of the bus.

A driver of a Baishakhi Paribahan bus, Salim Hossain, said they informed the students’ allegations to the owners.

Contacted, Rasel Miya Shadhin, an official of the university’s security department, said he also reported the issue to the senior officials.

JU Proctor ASM Firoz Ul Hasan did not respond despite repeated attempts to reach him over the phone.