Pro-BCL Buet students demand probe against 'mob justice' in campus

Around 15 Chhatra League-backed students at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) submitted a memorandum to the vice chancellor, urging justice for hundreds of students they claim are inspired by the liberation war and are facing harassment and death threats from a certain group.

After submitting the memorandum today (29 April), the students spoke to the media at the Shaheed Minar premises.

When asked about the identity of the certain group, the students replied that they are mostly from fundamentalist organisations like Shibir and the banned organisation Hizbut Tahrir.

The students also told the media that they have no objection if Buet can resume healthy and student-friendly politics. "We don't support any power practices in the name of politics; it should be student-friendly," they said during the briefing.

They claimed that after a group of Buet students were arrested at Tanguar Haor in Sunamganj on 31 July 2023, over suspicious extremist activities, they demanded a fair probe and formed a human chain on the campus.

"We are being harassed and are victims of 'mob justice' after the human chain. All the incidents started after the event. Two of our students – Aritra Ghosh and Mishu Datta – were summoned by the certain group and harassed from 11 pm to 4 am at the Ahsanullah Hall common room. Since then, hundreds of students have been blocked from some Facebook groups where they used to get academic routines and study materials," they said at the briefing.

"Our students were threatened not to participate in batch cultural programmes, sports, and department programmes. Even general students were asked not to share any academic notes, sheets, or study materials with us – those who protested against fundamentalists," the students said.

"They started mob justice after spreading a rumour of the BCL central president's entry to the Buet campus, and it's still ongoing. Our academic and social lives have been ruined. We have urged the VC to investigate and take necessary steps in response to these claims, but we have not seen any progress yet," they added

Earlier on 1 April, the High Court stayed the decision of Buet authorities restricting politics on the campus.

On 3 April, supporters of BCL in Buet alleged that they are being bullied and threatened online on a regular basis.

In a memorandum to the vice chancellor, the students wrote that those who support the resumption of student politics at Buet are being harassed, bullied and threatened.