Rajshahi IHT closed indefinitely as tension sparks over 'illegal seat trade'

Authorities of Rajshahi Institute of Health Technology (IHT) today closed the academic activities of the institution for an indefinite period after tension sparked among students over "illegal seat trade" allegedly by the Chhatra League unit of the institute.

They also asked the resident students to vacate the halls within the day.

"The campus was closed and halls were vacated for the heatwave situation and water crisis," Farhana Haque, principal of Rajshahi IHT, told our Rajshahi staff correspondent.

"A commotion among the students over a student being beaten was also a reason for the closure," she said.

On Monday, Md Hasan, a first-year student of Department of Pharmacy, was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital after he was beaten up by some BCL men.

Hasan told reporters that he paid Tk 16,000 to the institute's BCL president for a seat in the dormitory. But he was not given the promised seat.

"They beat me dragging me out of the classroom after I asked them to return my money," said Hasan.

IHT has formed a five-member committee to investigate the matter.

Earlier on July 26, Abu Sayeed, a student of the physiotherapy department, was beaten up by the BCL president's followers.

Abu Sayeed gave Tk 8,000 to the president for a seat.

He was given a seat in the president's room, but when he refused to stay in the room, he was assaulted, said Abu Sayeed.

Abu Sayeed alleged that he paid the BCL member the money through a teacher of the institution.

BCL members also assaulted two other students – Swapan and Shamim -- for disclosing the assault on Sayeed.

According to students, Mursalin, a first-year student of the Department of Lab Medicine, had a similar experience.

When called over his phone, his mother Bonya Khatun said, she herself paid the BCL president for a seat, but her son was never given a seat, nor did they return the money.

"Rather, the BCL president and his men threatened my son with dire consequences."

When contacted, the institute's BCL president Al Amin Akash denied the allegations against him.

He also said no BCL man was involved in seat trade on the campus.

He said the injured students were feuding with their own classmates.

Principal Farhana Haque, however, said no one was yet to complain about the seat trade on the campus.