‘BCL activists torture student, teachers attack journos’

At least six journalists were attacked and one camera tripod was vandalised when they went to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College in Barishal yesterday morning to collect news over allegations of torture on a female student of SBMC.

Shakil Mahamud, a journalist of Somoy TV, told The Daily Star that hostel super Dr Probir Saha, and his associates, including Dr Bakibillah, swooped on the journalists when they were talking to the victim and her mother after SBMC academic council took their statements.

“The accused teachers and staffers of SBMC attacked us with chairs. They kicked me, while camera tripod of Channel 24 was vandalised. At least six journalists came under the attack,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday night, SBMC students brought allegations against Neelima Hossain alias Jui, a student of the 50th batch and joint general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s SBMC unit, and Fahmida Roshan alias Prabha, a student of the 7th batch of dental and also a BCL activist, of torturing and ragging a third-year female student.

The victim said the BCL leaders have been abusing her in different ways. Samia Sultana, a classmate of the victim, tried to protect her, to no avail.

On Wednesday, the accused called the victim and her classmate Sultana to Room 606 of the female student hall around 11:00pm, and demanded them to apologise, hurling abuses at them.

At one point, they snatched the student and her classmate’s mobile phones. When the victim felt sick after two hours of ordeal, she was sent to her room with another student. After returning to the room, she lost consciousness. Later that night, she was admitted to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

“An unexpected incident happened with the journalists. We are trying to solve this issue,” said SBMC Vice Principal Nazimul Haque, who was in charge of investigating the incident of torture. However, he said it was a minor issue.

This correspondent tried to reach the accused BCL leaders Fahmida Roshan and Neelima Hossain several times over phone and on WhatsApp for their comments, but they did not answer.