Two Student Leaders Expelled After Dining Hall Assault

Two student wing leaders at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have been expelled from their political organisation following the assault of a resident student who complained about the quality of university dining hall food.

The central committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) issued the expulsion orders against Hasibur Rahman, the SUST unit’s communications secretary, and Tarek Rahman, the assistant office secretary. Both are academic peers, enrolled in the 2021–22 session, with Hasibur studying political science and Tarek pursuing a degree in statistics. The disciplinary action was confirmed on Sunday in a press release signed by the JCD central office secretary, Jahangir Alam, which cited gross breaches of organisational discipline as the grounds for their immediate removal.

The punitive action followed an incident on Saturday evening, when Khairul Khondokar, a first-year sociology student from the 2023–24 academic session, was physically attacked. Khairul, a resident of Shahparan Hall, sustained injuries that required emergency medical treatment at a private hospital in Sylhet city.

Retaliation Over Social Media Complaints

The confrontation stems from grievances regarding the standard of catering within the university accommodation. According to the formal complaint lodged by the victim, Khairul had recently used a social media group to voice his frustrations over the poor quality of food served at the Shahparan Hall dining facility, specifically highlighting the serving of stale and rotten fish.

Following a series of online posts on the matter, Khairul was intercepted by Hasibur and Tarek near the main gates of the university campus on Saturday night. The attackers reportedly subjected him to a violent assault, kicking him in the chest and inflicting repeated blows to his head and face. Passers-by and fellow students eventually intervened to rescue Khairul from his assailants before rushing him to hospital.

The incident sparked immediate outrage among the general student body. On Saturday night, scores of students gathered outside the university’s administrative building, staging a sit-in protest to demand immediate accountability and safer campus conditions.

Official Enquiries and Institutional Response

University authorities have moved swiftly to contain the fallout. The Proctor of SUST, Professor Mokhlesur Rahman, confirmed the details of the incident and noted that the victim had filed a formal institutional complaint.

“The Vice-Chancellor has taken the matter exceptionally seriously,” Professor Rahman stated. An emergency three-member enquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the assault. Headed by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Jasim Uddin, the committee has been mandated to conduct a thorough probe and submit a comprehensive report within three days.

Attempts to reach Hasibur and Tarek for comment regarding the allegations proved unsuccessful, as they could not be contacted. Similarly, the Provost of Shahparan Hall, Dr Iftekhar Ahmed, did not respond to telephonic enquiries concerning the catering conditions and the subsequent violence associated with his residential hall.