Activists of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal at Rajshahi University (RU) have been accused of harassing, interrogating, and physically assaulting a first-year student, Mohammad Asif, at Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall over suspicions of him being a “Shibir spy” attempting to infiltrate Chhatra Dal.
Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall Chhatra Dal President Mehedi Hasan Fuad denied the allegations, claiming no physical assault occurred and asserting that the student was being used by Islami Chhatra Shibir to controversy Chhatra Dal.
Mohammad Asif, a student in the 2024–25 academic session of the Department of Mathematics, said that financial hardship at home compelled him to repeatedly request a hall seat from the hall provost.
While inquiring about vacant seats in the gonoroom (mass room), he was advised to approach Hall Chhatra Dal President Fuad, who told him he must join Chhatra Dal to be allocated a seat. Asif agreed to participate in Chhatra Dal programmes in the hope of securing accommodation due to his family’s condition.
According to Asif, when he went to Fuad’s room at night, Fuad took his mobile phone under the pretext of adding him to an organisational group, searched its content, and accused him of being a “Shibir spy”.
After Asif denied the allegations and requested a seat arrangement, Fuad shouted at him, following which several other Chhatra Dal activists arrived, dragged him to the gonoroom, and physically assaulted him.
Asif further alleged that the activists recorded videos forcing him to make specific statements and coerced him into signing a written statement expressing a desire to become a leader.
Expressing deep panic over the incident, Asif requested assistance and security from the university administration, central student council, his department, and teachers, demanding a fair investigation and action against those involved so he could safely continue his studies.
Rejecting the harassment claims, Hall Chhatra Dal President Mehedi Hasan Fuad said that Asif had been staying illegally in the hall for nearly three months and sought assistance after his seat was reallocated to another student.
Fuad claimed that Asif offered to join Chhatra Dal citing a BNP family background, but when Fuad took the phone to add him to the Hall Chhatra Dal group, he found WhatsApp conversations with Hall Shibir President Rafsan.
According to Fuad, the messages showed Rafsan instructing Asif to keep audio recordings active while speaking to Fuad, record conversations inside and outside the provost’s office, and spy on the section officer’s room.
Hall Chhatra Dal also claimed that Asif had previously resided at the RU unit Shibir’s Welfare Building for seven months and secretly sent WhatsApp messages to the Shibir president promising to share internal Chhatra Dal information.
Meanwhile, RU unit Chhatra Dal President Sultan Ahmed Rahi said that upon being informed of the incident, he explicitly instructed Fuad to avoid any untoward occurrence, adding that the student was handed over to proper authorities via hall administration without any harassment.
Following the incident, the RU unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir met university officials to protest against the harassment and physical assault of the student.
Shibir submitted four demands to the administration: the resignation of the hall provost, punishment for involved Chhatra Dal leaders, essential medical care and security for the victim, and transparency in hall seat distribution.
Denying any organisational affiliation with Asif, RU unit Shibir General Secretary Hafez Mehedi Hasan said that the student had approached the Hall Council VP and Hall Shibir President in the same manner he met the Chhatra Dal president.
Addressing claims regarding the Welfare Building, Hafez Mehedi Hasan noted that around 100 financially insolvent first-year students reside there, not all of whom engage in Shibir politics, and added he was unaware if Asif had stayed there.
Shahid Shamsuzzoha Hall Provost Professor Al-Amin Sarker said he arrived at the hall during the night and held a meeting with all parties in his office, where the student did not report being beaten and said that no such assault occurred.
Regarding the confiscation of Asif’s mobile phone, the provost explained that he retained it in his office to protect the student’s personal data after others attempted to take it.
Rajshahi University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Mamunur Rashid said that the administration is taking the matter with utmost importance, noting that an investigation will be launched after taking the statement of the victim student to determine the actual sequence of events and take necessary action based on investigation findings.
