JU Chhatra League leader accused of attempted mugging and physical assault

On the way back from the field adjacent to Jahangirnagar University School and College on Monday evening, three students on a motorcycle suddenly stopped Ferdous Hawladar, a 49-batch student of the Journalism and Media Studies Department and started to assault him. Among the three, Sheikh Shahriar Parvez Shawon, a student of Philosophy (48 batch), started slapping him. 

The victim of this abrupt assault thinks the sudden physical torture was a preliminary exercise for mugging, which campus outsiders often experience. As soon as they came to know that he was a JU student, they started rushing to leave the place.

The victim of the incident, Ferdous Hawladar, lodged a written complaint to the university proctor on Tuesday (28 February) where Sheikh Shahriar Parvez Shawon and two unidentified people have been made accused of attempted mugging, beating and physical assault. 

The accused, Shawon, is a resident student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, Co-Secretary of JU Chhatra League and recognised as a disciple of Habibur Rahman Liton, General Secretary of the Branch Chhatra League.

The victim, Ferdous Howladar, said, "I have no previous acquaintance or any kind of enmity with any of the accused, even I don't know the other two persons. They stopped me and beat me up on my way back, and I'm in severe insecurity now.” 

Meanwhile, the accused, Sheikh Shahriar Parvez Shawon himself, filed a counter-charge to the proctor seeking 'Justice and Security for Physical Assault'. He mentioned that Ferdous Hawladar abused him due to the dust coming from his bike in front of JU School and College. 

Noor Mohammad Prince of 46 batch and Mustafa Rafid of 47 batch of the philosophy department were present with him. He immediately left as his brother-in-law was waiting at the Nabinagar bus stand. 

He further claimed that Ferdous blocked his way and punched him on his way back, assuming they were outsiders. After an introduction, Shawon learned that he (Ferdous) was a Junior and asked him to go to the hall. But Ferdous called his friends to beat them. He also claimed that he was attacked in the dark by 4-5 people, which left marking of wounds on his back.

Shawon mentioned in the complaint that he did not know anything about the identity of the attackers and the reason for the attack.

However, several Chhatra League leaders and activists of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall said that any sudden attack did not cause his back injury. As he was repeatedly associated with such misdeeds, the seniors of the political block beat him up and ordered him to move away from the political block by night. It is learned that Shawon is not staying in the hall at present.

Mentioning accused Shawon has committed this type of offence before, which has been politically reconciled, a posted leader of JU Chhatra League domiciled in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, who wished to be unnamed, said, "After learning about yesterday's incident, Shawon was severely beaten up and taken down from the hall. There have been several complaints against him before, which is against the political ideology of BCL."

To know about this, the accused, Sheikh Shahriar Parvez Shawon, was contacted several times by phone, but he did not pick up.

Habibur Rahman Liton, general secretary of JU Chhatra League, said, "I am not aware of the incident of an attempted mugging or anything like that. However, subject to investigation and proof, no exemption will be granted if anyone is implicated in the crime. Action will be taken against them organisationally.”

The proctor of the university, A S M Firoz-ul-Hasan, said, "We have received two complaints of physical assault against each other. The incident will be investigated, if the charge is proved, we will give show-cause notice to the accused. Then it will go to the disciplinary board. They will decide according to the law of the university."
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