Sarba Mitra announces resignation from Ducsu amid backlash over punishing children at DU

Sarba Mitra Chakma, a member of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu), has announced his resignation following widespread criticism over two viral videos showing around 30 teenagers and young men being forced to do squats while holding their ears.

Sarba Mitra made the resignation announcement through a Facebook post this afternoon (26 January).

Alongside the resignation announcement, he also expressed regret over the incident and sought unconditional apology.

Attempts to contact him multiple times over phone to confirm the matter were unsuccessful.

In the post, Sarba Mitra wrote that amid administrative failure and an insecure environment, he felt compelled to stop outsiders from entering the playground and made them do squats by holding their ears. 

"This was never my expected or desired behaviour. I admit that punishing anyone in this manner was wrong, and I unconditionally apologise for this incident," he said.

Ducsu's Sarba Mitra Chakma punishes children for playing at DU; proctor seeks explanation

He further said he has decided to resign from his position as a Ducsu executive member. 

"This is my personal decision, not taken out of anger or resentment towards anyone. I believe I have failed to meet the expectations of the students who chose me as their representative. Bearing the responsibility of administrative non-cooperation and failure, I have decided to resign," he added.

Explaining the context, Sarba Mitra wrote that the playground under the University's Physical Education Centre is meant exclusively for Dhaka University students. "However, the unrestricted entry of outsiders for a long time has turned into a serious security concern."

He alleged that incidents of harassment of female students by outsiders, along with thefts of mobile phones, wallets and bicycles, have occurred repeatedly, threatening both students' personal safety and the institution's secure environment.

He said, "The university administration has not taken any effective or visible measures. "The Physical Education Centre has not been brought under CCTV surveillance, security has not been strengthened, and no necessary steps have been taken to prevent the entry of outsiders," he wrote, adding that prolonged administrative inaction has further complicated the situation.

Meanwhile, Ducsu executive member Meftahul Hossain Al Maruf told The Business Standard, "The student body has not yet been officially informed about the resignation. However, we have seen related posts on Facebook shared by several people."