RU Teacher Assault: BCL leader lands in jail

Friday, January 1, 2010

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Emdadul Haque was sent to jail after he was hauled before a court yesterday on charges of beating up a Rajshahi University teacher and attempting to extort an admission seeker.

The First Court of Metropolitan Magistrate Amirul Islam also rejected his bail prayer in connection with the case filed by the assaulted folklore department teacher Anupam Hera Mondol.

Meanwhile, the RU unit BCL suspended membership of Haque, mass education affairs deputy secretary of the university unit. They also wrote to the central committee for his expulsion terming the attack on a teacher a heinous crime, said Ibrahim Hossain Moon, president of RU unit BCL.

Both police and RU BCL leaders say Suman, another accused in the case, could not be properly identified as his father's name and hometown remained unknown.

RU Proctor Prof Chowdhury Zakaria, meanwhile, served Haque with a show-cause notice asking him to clarify in seven days his position in the matter.

The university authorities served another show-cause notice upon folklore department student Ali Asgar Khokon asking him to explain the reason behind staging agitation over the issue.

Following the authorities' assurance of punishing the culprits, the folklore department teachers and students called off their strike billed for yesterday and joined academic activities wearing black badges.

The teachers, students, and Lalon Charcha Kendra, a folklore students' organisation, demand cancellation of Haque's studentship.

According to case documents and statements of the victims, Himanish Biswas, an admission seeker from Khulna, went to the campus on Wednesday as he was called in for admission from waiting list of management department.

As he was filling up the required form, Haque and Suman took him out of the department and demanded Tk 30,000 assuring that they would arrange his admission.

Anupam was passing by the spot near Kajla gate and intervened to rescue Himanish. At this stage, the accused snatched Himanish's cellphone and necessary documents for admission and started beating up Anupam for his intervention.

Witnessing a teacher being beaten up, a group of youths who were playing cricket at nearby field rescued Anupam and caught Haque red-handed. He was later handed over to police.

Both Anupam and Himanish alleged they were receiving threatening calls from unknown people.

Tofazzal Hossain Khan, officer-in-charge of Motihar police station, said they are trying to identify Suman.

RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan was not available for comments. Assistant Proctor Mustak Ahmed said they are seriously looking into the matter.

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