IU Student torture: Including BCL leader Ontora, 5 students being expelled

Five female students including one Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader from the Islamic University in Kushtia were expelled on Saturday for a year for their roles in the abuse and humiliation of a first-year student in the finance and banking department.

The choice was reached at a morning campus meeting of the university's student disciplinary committee, which was presided over by IU vice chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam.

The suspended students’ are BCL university unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora, a student of the Statistics Department, activists Tabassum Islam and Maobiya Jahan, both students of the Finance and Banking department, Halima Khatun Urmi, of Fine Arts department, and Israt Jahan Mim, of  Law Department of the university.

IU pro-vice-chancellor Professor M Mahbubur Rahman, treasurer Professor M Alamgir Hossain Bhuiya, proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad, acting registrar HM Ali Hasan  among others were present in the meeting.

IU proctor Professor M Shahadat Hossain Azad said that the university authorities expelled Ontora and four of her associates from the campus for one year as per the university act.

Fulpori, a first year student of Finance and Banking department, was tortured and humiliated by Islamic University unit of BCL vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora and her cohorts at Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the campus in Kushtia on February 12.

The incident came to light after the victim left the hall and disclosed the matter to her seniors and her family members the next day.

On February 14, the victim lodged a written complaint with the university administration, including the university proctor, student adviser and hall provost, demanding punishment of those involved in the incident.

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

The Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall administration expelled the accused on February 27.

On March 5, the university authorities suspended Ontora and four of her associates from the university as well as removed Shamsul Alam, the provost of Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall, from his post following the order of the High Court.

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