Two houses and a club were vandalized in Barishal University (BU) area after a female student of the university and her husband were humiliated and beaten at the Anondo Bazar area near the campus on Tuesday.
The university students blocked Dhaka-Kuakata highway protesting the incident at around 9 pm and announced a 12-hour ultimatum to arrest the accused.
According to the students, Zahid Hossain Joy, a follower of Charkaua Union Ward- 8 member Saidul Alam Liton, with his companions humiliated and beat a student of Management Department and her husband as they were roaming in the afternoon.
Joy used to tease and harass the female students on a regular basis, the students claimed.
Saikat Naeem, a BU student said the incident happened with a student of the management department and her husband. “We immediately went to the scene to protest. But we don’t know who vandalized the houses. We have given a 12-hour ultimatum for the arrest of Liton and Joy. If they are not arrested during this time, there will be a bigger movement,” he said.
Meanwhile, UP member Liton and his followers alleged that the students vandalized an organizational office called Sheikh Russell Library and their houses.
Altaf Hossain Hawlader, father of UP member Liton, said, “Before anyone could understand anything, they were attacking and vandalizing my house. I kept saying, I’m an old man but I got two punches on my back too.”
Liton’s mother Nurjahan Begum said we haven’t seen the sight of Liton but the university students came and attacked our house.
Jotsna Begum, mother of Zahid Hossain Joy, said, “My son knows nothing. Around 200-300 students came and vandalised our house. They broke our TV, freezer, almirah and looted our gold and cash.”
Proctor of BU, Khorshed Alam said that the students have been brought back from the streets and the situation has been calmed. However, Liton and his followers did not act with manners.
“The students have come up with some demands which we are looking into. I don’t know anything about vandalism,” he said.
Md. Asaduzzaman, OC of Barishal Bandar Police Station said, extra police have been deployed to keep the situation under control.
Source: United News of Bangladesh