A Jahangirnagar University (JU) student was severely injured on Saturday in a mugging incident while returning from a tutoring session.
The incident took place near the Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall gate.
The victim, Russel Hossain, is a 50th batch (2020-2021 session) student in the Zoology department and a resident of Rabindranath Tagore Hall at the university.
Russel’s friend Shahriar said that just before 8:30pm, Russel was returning from his tutoring job in the Kalma area. As there were no available vehicles, he decided to walk towards the hall gate.
When he was just a few yards away from the gate, muggers from the opposite side of the road blocked his path.
They snatched his tuition fee of tk9,000 and a newly purchased mobile phone.
Before fleeing, the muggers stabbed him, leaving him severely injured.
After waiting for about 15 minutes without any help, Russel managed to take a rickshaw to the university’s medical center.
He sustained a serious injury on the right side of his waist, requiring three stitches.
Russel shared that he supports himself with the earnings from his tutoring job and had just collected two months' worth of pay.
He further mentioned that the muggers were young, numbering three in total.
Russel said: “One of them held a knife tightly against my throat. I was struggling to breathe, so I handed over everything immediately.”
“As they left, they stabbed me in the waist, probably to prevent me from calling for help,” he added.
Russel’s wallet contained his national ID card, university ID card, and other important documents.
Without his mobile phone, he couldn’t contact anyone for help.
Later, a Zoology student posted about the incident on Facebook, prompting many to rush to his aid.
Dr Rifat, the attending doctor at the university’s medical center, provided Russel with initial treatment, including three stitches to his waist.
He was then referred to Enam Medical College Hospital in Savar for further treatment.
Upon receiving the news, JU Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Sohel Ahmed, Proctor Professor Rashidul Alam, among other officials arrived at the scene.
Dr A Taher, the on-duty surgeon at Enam Medical College Hospital's operation theater, said: “We have advised that Russel be kept under observation for 24 hours.”
Regarding campus security, Russel’s friend Abdus Sabur commented: "Incidents like these are happening frequently along the MH road. Despite this, neither the university administration nor the police have taken effective measures.”
He added: “How many more accidents must occur before they take action?"
Proctor Professor Rashidul Alam said: “We rushed to the scene as soon as we heard the news. The university medical center responded with great care. Russel's condition is now stable, but we have still recommended that he be kept in the hospital for 24 hours.”
The Proctor stated that they are working to strengthen security around the campus.
Speaking about the security measures around the hall gate, JU Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Sohel Ahmed said: "We have already taken steps to enhance security in that area, including installing more lights and setting up a police box. We’ve discussed this twice with the Savar Circle Police, including another conversation held today."
He added: “We had a similar discussion 7-8 days ago, and we expect visible progress on these measures after the Dashami celebration tomorrow."
