8 JU students suspended for abusing female student

Jahangirnagar University (JU) authorities today suspended eight students over allegations that they sexually harassed a female indigenous student on the evening of Pahela Baishakh.

JU Vice-Chancellor Farzana Islam suspended the students, Abu Bakr Siddique, registrar of the university told our JU correspondent this evening. He, however, did not mention the names of the suspended students.

The victim, a second year student of botany, was assaulted on the campus during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, yesterday suspended five of its leaders and activists of the university unit following the incident.

The order was passed through a press release, signed by JU BCL President Mahmudur Rahman Jony and General Secretary Razib Ahmed Russel.

The suspended BCL men are — Nishat Imtiaz Bijoy, 3rd year student of journalism and media studies; Nafis Imtiaz, 3rd year student of chemistry; Abdur Rahman Ifti and Nurul Kabir, 2nd year students of anthropology; and Rakib Hassan of geography and environment. All are residents of Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall and BCL activists of JU.

BCL made the decision after it found the men guilty in its primary investigation, the release read, which also denounced the assault and urged the university authorities to take action against them.