'I'll no longer be on the field', announces Ducsu's Sarba Mitra after video shows him threatening elderly man with stick

A video showing an elderly man being threatened with a stick on the Dhaka University (DU) campus has ignited widespread criticism and debate across social media since it began circulating yesterday (4 November) night.

The footage shows Sarba Mitra Chakma, an executive member of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu), attempting to "evict" an elderly man—who is seen carrying a bundle and a crutch—from a roadside pavement while holding a stick. Several members of the university's Proctors' Team were also present during the incident.

Amid mounting social media backlash, Sarba Mitra announced "I will continue working for a safe campus, but I will no longer be on the field. Thank you," through a Facebook post yesterday night.

The video, reportedly filmed during the university's ongoing eviction drive against "illegal shops, vagrants, and drug addicts", triggered a storm of reactions after being uploaded to Facebook by a student named Aminul Haque Ovi, who identifies himself as the joint convener of the Chhatra Dal's Masterda Surja Sen Hall unit.

The caption read, "The new Shibir-appointed administrator has arrived in Dhaka City; Location: Opposite Gate No.1 of the Burn Unit."

In the viral clip, Sarba Mitra is heard saying, "I'm evicting this after a meeting, take these." A member of the proctors' team then takes the stick from him, strikes the man's sack several times, and says, "What if I hit you with this stick?" The elderly man replies, "I will die, father."

Sarba Mitra then retrieves the stick and threatens, "Will I see you here again?" The man pleads, "No, father." To this, Sarba Mitra responds, "How many times must we move you? Didn't I say the same thing yesterday?"

Within hours, the video amassed thousands of reactions, over a thousand comments, and more than two thousand shares.

One user, Tanvir Tushar, commented, "No administrative or policing power should ever be given to students." Another, Abir Hasan, wrote, "It wouldn't be wrong to call them thugs."

However, a few defended the Ducsu member's actions.

Arman Hossain Fahim commented, "If the elderly man is involved in wrongdoing, punishing him isn't wrong. The law applies to everyone, and the stick was used to threaten the sack, not his body. That's a form of empathy."

Sarba Mitra then gave two Facebook posts late at night to clarify his side.

In his post, Sarba Mitra wrote, "That elderly man you see — I've been removing him from the metro station every night. He simply doesn't leave. He's been found with marijuana before. It's extremely difficult to move these people, so sometimes sticks or intimidation become necessary."

He claimed the elderly man was a drug addict who had been repeatedly evicted but refused to leave the campus. He also alleged that the video uploader intentionally cited the wrong location — naming the Burn Institute instead of the Amar Ekushey Hall —to make it appear as if the incident took place outside DU's jurisdiction. 

He added, "I only wanted a campus free of vagrants, lunatics, and cannabis users. These debates affect my personal life. Night patrols with the Proctors' Team aren't the job of a Ducsu executive member, yet they're not beyond my responsibility either."

Sarba Mitra also accused political rivals of exploiting the issue for partisan gain, saying: "People may dislike me or differ politically, but surely everyone wants safety for female students. Why must politics be played over this issue?"

He concluded, stating he won't continue field operations anymore.

According to university sources, the ongoing eviction drive — led by AB Jubayer, Ducsu's social welfare secretary, and Sarba Mitra Chakma — began on 23 October.

The operation has since fuelled tensions on campus, prompting protests from left-leaning student groups and hawkers, while Ducsu leaders have staged counter-demonstrations defending the campaign.