IU expels 5 former BCL activists for torturing, harassing female student

The authorities of the Islamic University in Kushtia on Monday expelled five of its students — a former leader and four former activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League — for torturing a first-year student of the finance and banking department.

The decision was made at an emergency syndicate meeting held on the campus with IU Vice-Chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam in the chair this afternoon.

On 16 July, the university administration expelled the students from the university for one year as per the university law, but the High Court on 26 July scrapped the expulsion order as the punishment was not handed down in accordance with the university's code of conduct.

The court also asked the vice-chancellor of the university to re-fix the punishment following the university's Student Code of Conduct 1987.

The expelled students are then-BCL's university unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora of statistics department and her associates Tabassum Islam and Maobiya Jahan, of finance and banking department, Halima Khatun Urmi of fine arts department and Israt Jahan Mim of law department.

IU pro-vice-chancellor M Mahbubur Rahman, treasurer M Alamgir Hossain Bhuiya, acting registrar HM Ali Hasan, among others, attended the meeting.

IU proctor M Shahadat Hossain Azad told the media that the university authorities expelled Ontora and four of her associates from the university permanently following the direction of the High Court.

The decision of the meeting would be sent to the High Court by 23 August.

The victim said, "I am satisfied with the university administration's decision against Ontora and four of her associates."

"None will dare to do such a heinous act on the campus in the future," she added.

The victim was tortured and intimidated by the then IU unit BCL vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her associates, including Tabassum, Mim, Urmi and Maobiya, in Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the campus at night on February 12.

On February 15, the university authorities formed a five-member probe body headed by IU law department chairperson Reba Mondol.

Two probe bodies formed by the Islamic University authorities submitted their reports on February 26.

Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall administration expelled the five accused on February 27. On March 1, the Bangladesh Chhatra League expelled Ontora and the four activists for torturing and humiliating the female student.

Based on the probe report submitted by Kushtia district administration on February 28, the High Court bench on March 1 asked the university to suspend the accused BCL leader and activists.

The court also asked the vice-chancellor and registrar of the university to immediately remove Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall provost Shamsul Alam and house tutors Moumita Akhter and Ishrat Jahan for their alleged negligence that led to the ill-treatment of the victim.

The IU authorities later suspended the five accused students from the university as well as removed Shamsul Alam as provost of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall.

The university authorities had also notified Ontora and her four associates asking them to submit their replies to the complaint in seven working days.

The university administration also allocated a seat to the female student in Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall on her choice following the High Court order.