Leaders of Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL), student’s wing of ruling Awami League, have physically assaulted the principal and the vice principal of Pabna’s Ishwardi Government College.
The shocking incident took place on Thursday afternoon after BCL men swept into college principal Professor Abdus Sabur Khan’s office as he refused to bend down to the BCL’s demand for selling academic documents illegally.
Vice principal of the college Abdul Jalil was also assaulted as he tried to save his superior colleague.
BCL men also vandalized the furniture, CCTVs hard disks, destroyed documents of the college and put an end to college admission process.
According to reliable sources, the perpetrators went into hiding since the incidents happened.
“No one will be spared and Ishwardi police have been asked to arrest the perpetrators,” said Pabna police SP Zihadul Kabir.
Witness said that a group of 40 BCL men, led by its Ishwardi unit President Rakibul Hasan Roni, college unit President Kandakar Arman, and General Secretary Sabbir Hasan, attacked the principal’s office on Thursday. They also hurled abuses and vandalized furniture.
At one stage, the BCL men dragged out the other teachers, including the vice principal, of the room and indiscriminately beat the principal with sticks.
Several teachers were also physically assaulted when they tried to protect Khan, according to the witnesses.
After the beating episode, the BCL leaders and activists had confined the principal to his office for an hour. On information, forces from Ishwardi police station arrived at the scene and rescued the principal.
Asked on why BCL attacked, Khan said, “They (BCL) have been creating pressure on me to sell prospectus and study plans bypassing the college rules but I did not bend to their pressure.”
“So, they BCL assaulted me and several teachers including Vice Principal Abdul Jalil,” he added.
Speaking to Bangla Tribune, several teachers of the college said, “The college authorities kept the issue secret as the admission into the Class XI is underway."
But, the principal was forced to file a lawsuit (case no. 79, 28-06-2018) against 40 people after BCL stopped the admission process, according to the teachers.
Eleven people including BCL Ishwardi unit President Rakibul Hasan Roni, Ishwardi college unit President Kandakar Arman, and General Secretary Sabbir Hasan were made accused in the case with 29 unidentified persons.
Police registered the case after 1am on Friday, subsequently, the incidents went public in the morning.
When this correspondent tried to contact the BCL leaders including Roni, their cell phones were found switched off while several other did not pick the phone.
Police have begun drives to arrest the perpetrators, who assaulted the principal, said Ishwardi police OC Azim Uddin.