Chhatra Shakti activists beat DU student after branding him Chhatra League member
The incident took place around 3am while the victim student was on his way to have Sehri in the BUET area early today.
A Dhaka University (DU) student was allegedly abducted and beaten for several hours by activists of the National Citizen Party's (NCP) student wing Jatiya Chhatra Shakti after being branded a member of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).
The incident took place around 3am while the victim student was on his way to have Sehri in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) area early today (9 March).
The student was later left in an injured condition in front of Shahbagh Police Station. The victim also alleged that his mobile phone, motorbike keys, and wallet were snatched during the incident.
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The injured student was identified as Rahid Khan Pavel, a student of the 2020-21 academic session of the Department of Philosophy at Dhaka University. However, his political affiliation could not be confirmed.
Those allegedly involved in the assault include Md Saifullah, organisational secretary of the Dhaka University unit of Chhatra Shakti; Hasib Al Islam, a former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination; and Mohammad Mohiuddin, a student of the Sociology Department. All three are students of the university's 2020-21 academic session.
Eyewitnesses also confirmed the presence of Mohammad Sakib, Hossain Riad and Sardar Nadim Mohammad Shuvo, all students of the 2021-22 academic session of the International Relations Department.
Describing the incident, Pavel told The Business Standard, "I went to BUET's Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall to have Sehri. Initially, there were eight to 10 people, including Hasib, Shuvo, Saifullah, Mohiuddin and Abrar. Later, 20 to 25 people beat me for two to two and a half hours without any reason.
"I told them that if I were guilty, they should hand me over to the police, but they did not listen."
He said he was first beaten inside the BUET campus for five to ten minutes.
"Later, I was taken in a rickshaw to the gate of Salimullah Muslim Hall and beaten again. I was then taken to VC Chattar and beaten, and later held in front of the Raju Sculpture, where I was assaulted again.
"Afterwards, they dumped me at the police station. Even at the station gate, I was assaulted. Everything will be clear if the CCTV footage is checked," he added.
Repeated attempts were made to contact Saifullah, Hasib, Shuvo and Mohiuddin over the allegations, but their mobile phones were found switched off.
However, Saifullah wrote on his Facebook profile early in the morning, "Caught a Chhatra League member on campus. Taking him to Shahbagh Police Station. No concessions will be made on the League issue."
Dhaka University Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed told The Business Standard, "We have not received any complaint regarding this matter so far. Around 11:30am, the Shahbagh Thana police sent Pavel to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. Pavel is with his mother and sister."
