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An attempt was allegedly made to take a female student of Jagannath University (JnU) away in a RAB vehicle during a raid at a mess for female students in the capital’s Koltabazar area on Sunday morning.
Barsha Khatun, a student of the university’s Department of Theatre from the 2015–16 academic session, was allegedly being taken away by people identifying themselves as members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
However, members of the university’s proctorial team and teachers intervened, following which the alleged RAB members left the premises without taking the student with them.
The incident has triggered fear and concerns over the safety of students staying at the mess.
JnUCSU Social Welfare Secretary Mostafizur Rahman said he went to the spot after receiving phone calls from students in the morning and informed the officer-in-charge of Sutrapur Police Station.
“Police and university teachers later arrived at the scene. There was initially suspicion about the people who came identifying themselves as RAB members. Later, RAB personnel arrived there. With the intervention of teachers and the proctorial team, the student was ultimately rescued safely,” he said.
JnU Assistant Proctor Ahmed Ihsanul Kabir said they rushed to the spot after learning about the incident and found the student being put into a RAB vehicle.
“We spoke to the concerned people and asked them to inform the university administration before taking the student away. If there is any allegation or case against the student, action should be taken through due legal process. Ensuring the student’s safety is our primary responsibility at this moment,” he said.
He said the university administration was taking the incident seriously and would investigate any allegation against the student in accordance with the law.
“It is also necessary to determine whether there was any irregularity or ulterior motive behind the incident,” he added.
University Transport Administrator and Professor of Islamic Studies Md Tarek Bin Atik said a student had called him in the morning and informed him that people identifying themselves as RAB members had arrived at the mess.
“When university teachers and students reached the spot, the people initially said they had come there by mistake. Later, they said they had come to arrest a suspect in a theft case. Meanwhile, a student was put into a RAB vehicle,” he said.
“We told them immediately that the student would not leave with them. If she had committed any offence, the matter would be brought to the attention of the proctor’s office and the vice-chancellor before taking further action,” he added.
Professor Tarek said members of the proctorial team were later called to the spot. Although the people claimed that the student was wanted in a theft case, they did not provide details of the case, he said.
He alleged that the case might have been filed over a family dispute involving the student’s sister’s former husband. However, no immediate comment was available from the concerned party regarding the allegation.
Tarek also said the people present at the scene initially refused to provide their identities or mobile phone numbers. The matter was also reported to Sutrapur police.
Sutrapur Police Station OC Anwar said police went to the scene after learning about the incident.
“They were RAB members and had come to take the student in connection with a case. Later, we learned that the case had been filed over a family dispute. They subsequently left without taking the student,” he said.
The OC suggested contacting Dhaka Cantonment Police Station to obtain further details about the case.
The student is a student of the Department of Theatre at Jagannath University. According to university sources, a family dispute involving her sister’s former husband may be linked to the incident.
Following the incident, the student was reportedly kept at the university’s proctor’s office for her safety.
The university administration said it would investigate the matter and take necessary legal action. Concerns have also grown over the safety of other students staying at the mess.
