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Jagannath University

Grabbers occupy all 12 dorms for years

Kailash Sarkar
Twelve dormitories of Jagannath University have long been under the occupation of former lawmakers, leaders of Chhatra League and Chhatra Dal. local criminals and even government organisations like the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and police.
The DCC authorities have leased a hostel of the university from the deputy commissioner for building a school while former Awami League lawmaker Haji
Selim built a market in his wife's name occupying part of another hostel illegally.
Families of policemen have been living in four of these hostels.
Many of these illegal occupants have even prepared fake documents of their ownership of these university dorms.
Students of Jagannath University have been moving to get back the hostels, which recently ended up in clashes between police and students and closure of the university for indefinite period.
Sources alleged that a few leaders of
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCD, who receive shares and tolls from different markets and shops of the illegal occupants of these hostels, opposed the movement by the general students.
Haji Selim built multi-storey Gulshan Ara City Market in his wife's name occupying a part of Tibet Hostel at Wiseghat. The other part of the hostel is occupied by the families of a few policemen.
When contacted Haji Selim refused to talk to The Daily Star on the issue The DCC leased Bazlur Rahman Hostel at Mughaltuli and built Shaheed Ziaur MMnan^chool the r^.. Local Wand Commissioner and BNP leader Hossain Mollah looks after the school.
DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka told The Daily Star that the land was leased from the DC for one year. "It had been occupied by criminals. Dhaka City Corporation recovered it and used it for the purpose of the educational institution," he said.
Asked why the DCC did not return the land to Jagannath University, Khoka said, "If the university authorities have specific plans, the land will be returned to them by abolishing the school."
Former president of Jagannath University unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Sagir Ahmed, BNP leader MA Halim, local traders Nurul Islam Bepari. Mohan Ghosh and Aklim Hossain and a few other JCD leaders demolished the Crown Bhaban at Patuatuli and built the six-storey Crown Market there. Sagir was shot dead in 2005 by rivals.
MA Halim was a general secretary of JCD during the regime of Ziaur Rahman. After the January 11 declaration of the state of emergency he joined Ferdous Ahmed Koreshi's Progressive Democratic Part}' but resigned from it following AL's coming to power.
Local traders said the occupants leased the shops of the market to them for huge amountofmoney.
Local criminals Fazlu and his brother Alizan occupied Shaheed Anwar Shafique Hostel at Armanitola about 15 years ago. The brothers, who were close associates of Old Dhaka don Akbar Sheth, are now in jail on charge of killing Sheth. A Dhaka court sentenced them to life imprisonment for the murder and they have appealed against the verdict
Sources said the building and the land are being used as godowns and transport depots. Haji Md Abul Bashar alias Bashir and Saleha Begum alias Shaban had installed two signboards on the building but removed them recently.
Local sources sard traders purchased one pan of the land and building from Fazlu and Alizan at a low cost.
Abdur Rouf Majumder Hoste and Saidur Rahman Hostel in Jadunath Basak Lane and Shaheed Nazrul Islam Hostel in Gopimohan Basak Lane have been occupied by Powerful locals and criminaLs while occupants set up Jamia wanah Bagh Jannat Madrasa and Orphanage at Nazrul Islam ^el in 1985 Various bust ^^establishments have also o^wnon the hostel premises, ri Bhaban. once a
niinority stu-
Road, is now । , control of student p d the ruling party. Powerful locals control the
other part of the hostel. The BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance ousted the students after coming to power in 2001.
—»At present, BCL leaders us« the building as a meeting place and collect tolls from business establishments in the compound.
Policemen along with their families have been residing in Shaheed Sahab Uddin Hostel in Jhulanbari Lane of Tantibazar, Dr Habibur Rahman Hostel in Golok Paul Lane, Shaheed Ajmal Hossain Hostel in Ramakanta Nandi Lane and Abdur Rahman Hostel on AC Roy Road in Armanitola.
Policemen, many of them retired, occupied Abdur Rahman Hostel after its students were ousted following a clash with local criminals in 1986.
Soon after Jagannath University College was made a university, the authorities appointed a chartered accountant firm to locate its properties. After university estates and properties were located, the university authorities asked the education ministry and home ministry several times to help it get back those properties.
The university authorities also submitted memorandums to the inspector general of police (IGP) several times for getting back the hostels occu pied by policemen.
When contacted, IGP Nur Mohammad admitted that there has been no development in this regard.
Abdul Malek, DC of Lalbagh zone, said he was not the authority to talk on the issue and suggested talking to DC (Estate and Development) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mohammad Shah Jahan. But
• Shah Jahan told The Daily Star, "I am not aware of the mater."
Talking to The Daily Star, Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Prof Abu Hossain Siddique said Jagannath College authority occupied these "vested" properties after their Hindu owners abandoned the land and properties in 1965. He said the authorities have since paid all the taxes.
The VC said in 1985 and 1986 during the rule of HM Ershad some student leaders in cooperation with local criminals and powerful persons occupied most of these hostels. A few teachers and officials of the then administration were also involved in the procedure, he said.