DUCSU ELECTION: VP candidate Jalal expelled from hall for 'stabbing roommate'

Vice-President (VP) candidate in the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election, Jalal Ahmad Jalal, was expelled from his residential hall on Tuesday after allegedly stabbing his roommate during a violent altercation.

The incident occurred around 12:45am in room no 462 of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall.

Jalal, a student of the Television and Film department, allegedly attacked his roommate, Rabiul Haque, a Political Science student from the 2018-19 session, following a heated dispute. Rabiul sustained a stab wound to the chest and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by fellow students.

Following the attack, Jalal locked himself inside the room, leading to a two-hour standoff involving students, hall authorities, and Shahbagh police. When he was eventually escorted out, an angry mob of students assaulted him, during which two members of the proctorial team were also injured.

Hall provost Professor Md Sirajul Islam said, "He has been expelled from Mohsin Hall for such a heinous act. Steps will also be taken to cancel his studentship."

Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khalid Monsur confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that an attempted murder case had been filed against Jalal, who is now in police custody.

From his hospital bed, Rabiul told reporters that Jalal had returned late at night, turned on the lights, and disturbed him while he was resting.

"I asked him to let me sleep as I had to study at the library in the morning. He got angry, called me an outsider staying illegally, and suddenly attacked. I defended myself and later escaped for medical help," he said.

Jalal, however, denied the allegation in a social media post, sharing photos of his own injuries and claiming that Rabiul had attacked him instead. He alleged the clash erupted as he was preparing to file a legal notice to evict "illegal and outsider students" from university halls, accusing Rabiul of residing in Mohsin Hall unlawfully.

Dhaka University Proctor Associate Professor Saifuddin Ahmed, along with the hall provost and several house tutors, visited the spot after the incident.

The proctor said the authorities acted quickly but at first suggested that Rabiul was hurt by a tube light, not stabbed.

The incident, however, has triggered widespread outrage on campus, with students demanding stronger safety measures in dormitories ahead of the DUCSU polls.

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