Violent clashes and attacks over political interests at Dhaka University, widely regarded as the country’s premier higher education institute, have risen at an alarming rate since 1971 – resulting in the deaths of at least 60 students.
No one has ever been punished for the murders committed on the campus. Only one case – filed over seven murders in 1974 – saw a trial and verdict; the sentences were later scrapped.
Impunity accorded to the culprits for their links to ruling political parties appears to be the key reason behind the recurrence of such violence.
Having been spared the powers of the day, most of the accused have completed their studies, gotten jobs and gotten on with life. The incidents from their past have very nearly been forgotten.
After every incident of death and injury, university authorities formed probe committees; filed cases as per the law; sometimes the accused were detained. But the cases never got to trial.
University authorities do not have any record of how many killings have taken place on campus.
According to information obtained from different sources, at least 64 people, including four outsiders, were killed in the period between 1974 and 2010.
Most of the victims were activists of student fronts of the Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal while others were general students.
The deaths were the result of violence stemming from political rivalries, intra-party conflicts, establishing supremacy on the campus, extortion and tender manipulation.
Gopal Chandra Das, coordinator of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) Archives, said violence on campus had risen sharply after 1971 with the widespread use of firearms and the patronisation of criminals by military rulers.
“After independence, the campus often turned into a battle ground. The terrible incidents of killings took place centring the establishment of dominance on campus and the dormitories, tender grabbing and intra-party feuds,” said Gopal who has been working at the university since 1960.
President Abdul Hamid and a special court judge recently condemned the current trend of student politics at public universities.
The last victim of campus violence at DU was Abu Bakar Siddique. He was killed during a fierce clash between two groups of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists of Sir AF Rahman Hall on February 1, 2010.
The authorities expelled 10 activists of the Chhatra League, the ruling party’s student organisation, following a preliminary investigation. Another committee formed by the hall authorities is yet to submit its report.
Police then arrested eight Chhatra League men in connection with the case filed by a student, but they were later released. According to the plaintiff, the accused are now trying to settle the matter out of court.
On September 15, 2004 Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Mahabubul Islam Khokon was critically injured in an intra-party clash.
Neither of the two probe bodies formed over the incident have yet submitted their reports.
Two cases were filed accusing 21 people. Police are yet to arrest Shoeb, the main accused, while the others are now moving about freely.
In 1999, two students – Monir Hossain and Firoz – were killed in different clashes. However, cases filed over the incidents never got to the trial stage.
Chhatra League leader Partho Pratim Acaharya was killed on April 23, 1998. A case was filed the next day against several Chhatra Dal leaders including Sahiduddin Chowdhury Annie and Habib-un-Nabi Sohel. Police arrested Annie and several others but they were released a few days later.
Another Chhatra League activist of Jagannath Hall unit was killed in an intra-party clash the same year. His name could not be ascertained.
In 1997, Bangabandhu Hall student Arif was shot dead as a consequence of a Chhatra Dal intra-party clash. The body of another student named Shaheen was found at Curzon Hall.
An ordinary student of Jagannath Hall fell victim to an intra-party clash of Chhatra League in 1996.
In 1994, a first year student of mathematics department was found dead in Fazlul Haque Hall.
On September 1, 1994, a Chhatra League activist named Bulbul was shot dead during an intra-party clash. On September 22, Sarwar Hossain Mithu was killed as two groups of Chhatra Dal clashed in Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall.
On October 27, 1994, a student of Jagannath Hall died after receiving bullet injuries.
In 1993, a student named Jinnah along with two staff members of the university were shot dead during a clash. Alok Kanti Paul, a student of the political science department, was killed in front of Buet on November 22 the same year.
On January 9, 1992, DU unit Chhatra League Organising Secretary Moniruzzman Badal was shot dead in front of Shamsunnahar Hall.
Chhatra League activist Tanoy was killed in front of Curzon Hall on July 11 the same year. Separate probe committees were formed after the incident, but no reports have been submitted as yet.
Moyeen Hossain Raju, a Chhatra Union leader, was killed on March 13, 1992, in a gun attack on a procession of Ganatantrik Chhatra Oikya, an alliance of nine student organisations, demanding an end to campus violence and the trial of top collaborator Ghulam Azam, then chief of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Two Chhatra Dal activists – Ashraful Azam Mamun and Khandakar Mahmud Hossain – were killed in an intra-party clash on September 4 the same year.
On June 20, 1991, a student named Mahbubur Rahman was killed in front of the University Laboratory School.
Three students – Galib, Liton, Mizan – and an outsider were killed on the campus on October 27 the same year. The killers and motives for the murders remain unknown.
On February 21, 1990, Alamgir Kabir of Surya Sen Hall was killed in Chhatra League infighting while Chunnu, then president of the Chhatra League's Zahurul Haq Hall unit, was shot dead during a fight with Jasod Chhatra League activists of Haji Mohammad Mohsin Hall unit.
Shahin of Fazlul Haque Hall was found dead inside the dormitory the same day.
On November 27, 1990, Dr Milon became a victim of crossfire during a gunfight between the activists of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Sangram Parishad.
Kofil Uddin of Jasod Chhatra League was killed during a gunfight with activists of Chhatra Dal in front of Modhur Canteen on February 9, 1989 while Arif, a student of the finance department, was gunned down on December 29 by unknown assailants.
On December 11, 1988, a student named Bajlur Rashid was killed.
Chhatra Dal leader Bablu and two of his associates – Moinuddin and Nur Mohammad – were killed after a bomb exploded in room 426 of Mohsin Hall on a day in March in 1987.
The next day, Chhatra Dal activist Halim was killed during a clash with Jasod Chhatra League.
In 1986, Aslam was killed in a clash centring over the Ducsu election.
Raufun Basunia was shot dead during a clash between Chhatra Sangram Parishad and Chhatra Dal in front of Mohsin Hall on February 13, 1985.
The body of another ordinary student named Joynul was found following a clash between police and students on February 13, 1983.
Two students including Chhatra League activist Liakat were killed in 1978.
Clashes between activists of two groups of Chhatra League claimed the lives of top leader Luku and two of his associates in 1977. Rontu, brother of another leader Aurongo, was killed allegedly by cadres of the Noor Group the same year. Luku was slaughtered near Kataban Market.
Two students named Honu and Gopal were killed in 1977.
The much-talked-about killing of seven students took place in Mohsin Hall on April 4, 1974. Four years after the murders, a court sentenced Shafiul Alam Prodhan, then general secretary of Chhatra League, and others to life-term imprisonment. However, they all were released when military strongman General Ziaur Rahman came to power. Prodhan is now the chief of the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party, an ally of the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
In 1974, the bodies of four students were found at a place between Jagannath Hall and Shamsunnahar Hall.
Aside from this, the bodies of four outsiders were found on the campus.
Muggers stabbed to death Nikunja Bihari Nag, a joint secretary of the LGRD Ministry, on campus on January 1, 2000.
The bodies of two businessmen – Yasin and Ismail – hailing from Dhaka's Mohammadpur neighbourhood were found in front of the Basunia Gate of Mohsin Hall on December 25, 2003.
Police recovered the body of Shamu, an alleged criminal of the Elephant Road area, on July 17, 2004, from a garage near the Arts Faculty building.
When contacted, Vice-Chancellor Prof Arefin Siddique acknowledged slow progress over the murder cases, many of which have remained shelved.
He hoped to break the tradition of killing on campus, saying: “The university administration is very aware of these incidents and is working to bring all of them under trial.”
Asked about records of the campus killings, he said they were preserved by the university authorities.
However, when this correspondent contacted different administrative bodies including the proctor's office, the public relations section and the records section, officials concerned failed to provide the exact number of killings and related documents.
In a landmark verdict, a special tribunal on Sunday sentenced five Chhatra League activists of Jahangirnagar University to death and six others to life-term imprisonment for killing Zubair Ahmed in 2012.
Expressing frustration over the current situation of student politics, the judge suggested that guidelines be formulated for student politics in order to stop the recurrence of violent acts.
He said the current trend of student politics was highly chaotic, and lacked ideals and values. The judge said the impunity enjoyed by criminals for murder and violence in recent years has significantly inspired such acts at public universities.
Meanwhile, speaking at the university's 49th convocation, President Abdul Hamid on January 13 urged all to make student politics people-centric and ideology-based for the greater interest of the nation.
“Student politics in the 60s was based on ideology and that ideology was to work for the welfare of the country and the people but today's student politics lacks such ideology and to some extent that hurts me,” he said.
Recalling the glorious past of DU, President Hamid said the university nurtured many renowned politicians who had contributed to the country's independence and national development.