No university has authority of its own
Two more student gangs — “Nishachor” and “Bhai Brothers” — had been carrying out criminal activities on Dhaka University campus for several years. A section of third-year honours students, who lived in “gono rooms” during their first year at residential halls, had formed the gangs.
The gang members ran their activities through Facebook messenger and WhatsApp groups. They roamed around the campus at night and got involved in various crimes, including taking drugs, harassing women, and mugging in the Central Shaheed Minar, Suhrawardy Udyan, Fuller Road, and Curzon Hall areas.
Meanwhile, the DU authorities have suspended two members of “Proloy gang”, which came under the spotlight after its members beat up DU students. The DU provost standing committee formed an inter-hall probe body, headed by Salimullah Muslim Hall Provost Prof Iqbal Rouf Mamun, to identify the members of “Proloy gang”. The committee was asked to submit its report in seven working days.
Many members of “Proloy gang” are druggies, involved in mugging and beating up DU students, said general students. The gangs were opened in their first year when they used to live in ‘gono rooms’ in terrible conditions. DU students Fazle Nabid and Sadique Ahmad, both residents of Bijay Ekattor Hall and members of “Nishachor”, were arrested by police last month for snatching money from a truck driver inside BUET campus.
The university authorities have formed an inquiry committee to investigate the “Proloy gang” incident and expressed their firm commitment to take stern action if any student is found guilty. The entire social system has been falling apart for a decade and new types of crimes are introduced each year.
There is no authority that can be called university authority. It is distressing to witness university students are serving as the muscle men under the greedy politics of political parties. The students should have taken up a strong position against the greedy motivation of using every means to sabotage public interest.
