The authorities of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj have expelled six students for a lifetime after a video clip of ‘insulting physically and mentally’ on freshers went viral on social media.
The expulsion came as per the decision of the university’s proctorial body on Monday (Feb 4), said Proctor Ashikuzzaman Bhuiyan.
Students, who face expulsion, are – Shipon from Dhaka’s Keraniganj, Shahin Mia from Nayanganj, Nadim Islam from Tangail, Hridoy Kumar Dhar from Sherpur, Turjay Hawladar from Bhola and Ashikuzzaman Limon from Faridpur. All of them are second-year students of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (ETE) department.
They were also sued under the ICT Act, said the proctor.
On Feb 1, 2019, a group of ETE students abused the freshers of the department from 7pm to 11pm.
Video clips of the ‘ragging’ incident went viral on social media website Facebook drawing in the university authorities’ attention.
Later, the administration took action.
Ragging, a practice in South Asian countries’ higher education institutions, is similar to hazing in North America.
It involves abuse, humiliation or harassment of new entrants or junior students by the senior students.
Ragging often takes a malignant form wherein the newcomers may be subjected to psychological or physical torture.