IU student torture HC orders suspension of 5 students

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday ordered the authorities of Islamic University in Kushtia to immediately suspend five students involved in the torturing of its student Phulpori Khatun from all academic activities of the university.
The students are— Sanjida Chowdhury Antora of Statistics department who is also Vice-President of the IU Chhatra League, Halima Akhtar Urmi of Fine Arts Department, Ishrat Jahan Meem of Law Department, Tabassum Islam and Muabia Jahan of Finance and Banking Department.
The HC also asked the university authorities to withdraw the provost of the hall where the incident took place.
The HC Bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Gazi Md Mohsin, a Supreme Court lawyer, seeking High Court directives regarding the issue.
In the order the court said, “The university administration will take action against the accused students, hall administration and others according to the laws and rules of the university. The university authorities have been asked to remove the five suspended students from all kinds of educational and institutional activities until the final decision of the university is made in this incident.”
The IU authorities have also been asked to allot a seat for Phulpori Khatun at any room in any hall of her own choice so that she can resume her classes and academic activities, and to provide security to the witnesses of the incident.
The Superintendents of Police of Kushtia and Pabna have been ordered to ensure safety and security to Phulpori Khatun. The HC ordered the law enforcers to recover the mobile phone which recorded the incident of torturing and assaulting on Phulpori and to submit its video footage before this court.
The court asked the Vice-Chancellor of IU, Kushtia, to submit a report before it after complying with the directives by May 8 this year. It also fixed the same date for passing further order on this issue.
Meanwhile, during the hearing, the court expressed its grave concern about the untoward incidents including torture and ragging on innocent students at different educational institutions, particularity in the universities.
It said, “We have noticed from media that some unruly students are participating in the untoward incidents by using their political identities, which are tarnishing the glorious history of student politics.”
Phulpori alleged that BCL leader Sanjida and other BCL activists tortured her on the night of February 11 for staying at the Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall without their “permission”. They allegedly tortured her from 11:00pm till 3:30am.
After being noticed through the media the Supreme Court lawyer filed the writ petition seeking HC directives to probe the torturing, and security of the victim student. The court asked writ petitioner Advocate Gazi Md Mohsin to observe the situation at IU and to move prayer before this court for necessary orders.