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The DU students who mug after sunset
MASHFIQ MIZAN and SIRAJUL ISLAM RUBEL
It was 11:00pm in Dhaka.
A married couple left their Nazimuddin Road residence to visit their uncle’s home in Dhaka University area. When they arrived at DU’s Shaheed Minar premises, a group of 10 to 12 men, led by DU BCL activists, intercepted them, mercilessly beat them, stole Tk 22,000 and their ATM card, and left.
The victims’ uncle Md Abdul Motaleb, Principal Administrative Officer of Masterda Surja Sen Hall of DU, filed a case accusing Fahim Tajwar Joy and Sajid Ahmed and 12 unidentified youths in connection with the mugging incident.
According to the case statement, Fahim studies in the history department (session 2021-2022), and Sajid in the information science and library management department of DU.
They both are residential students of Masterda Surja Sen Hall and are activists of BCL, hall sources confirmed.
“My nephew and her husband were mugged, assaulted, and harassed on the night of February 4. The attackers stole Tk 22,000 and an ATM card. When my son and I rushed to the spot to save them, the attackers even beat us up,” the statement reads.
Motaleb told The Daily Star, “I work for DU students from morning to night. But yet they didn’t hesitate for a second to beat me. Since when did the students become such cold-blooded criminals?”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Many such attacks were reported to Shahbagh Police Station and in the media in the last one month alone.
According to victims and DU students, it all starts with these words -- “Bhai ki campus er? [Are you from the campus?]”.
If the person says no, all hell breaks loose. The questioners harass, attack and snatch all belongings from the victim, and drive them away from Dhaka University. Sometimes, even DU students are not spared.
Almost every DU student these correspondents talked to said they know someone who has been assaulted or mugged on the campus, while many said they were victims themselves.
Contacted, a senior officer of Shahbagh Police Station, seeking anonymity, said, “Mugging incidents on DU campus have increased significantly in the past few months. The attackers are becoming more desperate.”
“Most of these criminals are DU students. Even their university mates are becoming their victims,” he added.
Meanwhile last Sunday, police arrested three DU students for beating and stealing Tk 15,000 from a covered-van driver near Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) area.
A Dhaka court later sent them to jail on February 6. A patrol team of Shahbagh Police Station arrested Nabid Shakil, a student of theatre and performance studies; Rahat Rahman, 21, of management department, and Sadik Ahammed of social welfare and research department, when the driver was screaming for help.
The day these three were sent to jail, DU authorities suspended two more BCL leaders. The reason is easy to guess at this point. Tanzir Arafath Tushar and Rahul Ray were suspended after allegations of mugging surfaced against them.
Tushar, the joint secretary of Kabi Jasimuddin Hall BCL, was initially apprehended by police, but was released later. Rahul was a member of the last BCL central committee.
They have been accused of assaulting a woman and her husband at Suhrawardy Udyan. A case was filed against the two and five to six unidentified youths in connection with the event.
According to the case statement, the perpetrators dragged the victims off the bike they were on, beat them, harassed the woman, and fled after snatching gold ornaments.
Besides, supporters of Imdadul Hasan Shohagh, general secretary of Amar Ekushey Hall Chhatra League, allegedly vandalised a shop at Bangabazar after its owner refused to pay extortion money on January 30.