Chhatra Dal leader 'attacks' shopkeeper at Chittagong University

Jalal Siddique, joint general secretary of the Chittagong University unit of the Chhatra Dal, has allegedly attacked a shopkeeper on the campus.

The incident occurred at a makeshift stall at 9:30 pm on Wednesday. Afterwards, Jalal apologised for the incident.

Shopkeeper Hamid Mohammad Sujon was a student in the 2015-16 batch at the university’s Department of Dramatics.

Sujon said that a few months ago, someone had eaten at his stall while giving Jalal’s name and left an outstanding bill of Tk 30.

He informed Sajjad Hossain Hridoy, the organising secretary of the university’s Chhatra Dal unit, of the bill.

Jalal then went to the store and asked about the situation. Sujon told him, “They ate after giving your name and left a Tk 30 bill, but it hasn’t been paid.”

Jalal responded, “If someone had run up a tab under my name, you should have informed me.”

The shopkeeper replied, “There are many Jalals on campus. Are you the only one?”

Jalal grew enraged at this and attacked the trader, hitting him on the mouth. The table in front of the trader overturned onto him. People nearby then helped calm the situation.

Chhatra Dal Organising Secretary Sajjad said, “The shopkeeper made an allegation to us that, ‘Your activists eat here and don’t pay’. In response, I said that the Chittagong University Chhatra Dal had no history of such actions.”

“Then the shopkeeper told me that he was owed Tk 30 by a person named Jalal for two or three months. In light of this, I said, if such an incident had happened, we will handle it. We will look into the matter.”

According to Hridoy, he came to know about the attack shortly after he left the shop.

Shopkeeper Sujon said that shortly after Hridoy left, Jalal came and questioned him why he had said such things about him.

“At one point, while we were speaking, he tried to hit me. He tried to grab my throat. When I moved back, the table in front of the shop fell over and damaged the goods in my shop. Later, he (Jalal) apologised to me.”

Asked about the incident, Jalal said: “Who has left a bill outstanding in my name? I don’t know. But he (the shopkeeper) is telling everyone about it. I came to the campus and asked him, ‘Do I owe you any money?’

“The shopkeeper then told me ‘Are you the only Jalal? There are many Jalals on the campus’. After hearing this, I lost my temper and pushed him. But I did not beat him or vandalise the shop. Rather, I later went to him (the shopkeeper) and expressed my regret for the incident.”

Alauddin Mohsin, president of the university Chhatra Dal, said: “I have heard about the incident. We will verify the truth of the matter and take organisational action.

“Our organisation has not done any such thing on campus in the past. We will take care that such activities do not happen in the future.”