2 expelled ULAB students arrested

The two expelled students of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), were released on bail yesterday hours after they were arrested from Dhaka's Mohammadpur Beribadh area in a case filed by the university authorities.

The arrestees are -- Mahmood Sadaat Ruhul and Raihan Atique, both 8th semester students of media studies and journalism department. They have been demanding a 50 per cent waiver of tuition fees.

"We arrested them following the case filed by the university's security officer on Friday," said Dulal Hossain, inspector (operations) of Mohammadpur Police Station, also the investigation officer of the case.

ULAB authorities alleged that the students vandalised CCTV camera and other infrastructures of the university.

The two were produced before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Yasmin Ara who granted the bail on bond Tk 10,000, court sources said.

Protesting students, however, termed it a false case.

ULAB Proctor Wazir AF Ahmed told The Daily Star that the arrestees along with few others were trying to pursue an agenda.

"We told them several times to move away from the demonstrations. We met with them. But they didn't listen to us. On Thursday, they locked our permanent campus and barred movement till 10pm.

"There were a few students. We saw some outsiders too. Yesterday, they carried out vandalism there and injured one of our staff members. Following the incidents, the university authorities filed a case yesterday," said the proctor.

"I don't know if they were arrested. You know, two students were expelled earlier. Those who were expelled, we can't treat them as our students anymore. That's why, as a proctor, I can't do anything about it," he said.

Both the students earlier said the university had expelled them on November 15 as they were taking part in a demand -- since October 23 -- for 50 percent waiver of tuition fees during the pandemic.

Their other demands include cancellation of all student activity fees -- like computer lab fee, library fees and others -- and providing digital devices and internet packages.

The university authorities in the expulsion notices said that they expelled the students for pursuing an agenda to malign ULAB's image. They claimed that the students shared "false" information regarding tuition fees, termination of staff members and more on social media and to the press.

Protesting the authority's decision, a group of students have been holding a sit-in in front of the university's Ramchandrapur campus for the last three days.

A protesting student, wishing not to be named, yesterday said that the authorities didn't allow them to enter into the campus on the first day. However, they allowed vehicles and staff of a private company.

"When we argued over it, they said we can't enter as ULAB is closed now. A scuffle took place over it. On Friday, they were taking photos of the protestors including the girls, secretly. Another scuffle took place when Sadaat injured his leg there."

"Yesterday, when we went to the campus, Mohammadpur police picked up Sadaat and Raihan," the student said.

Sadaat is also a leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union's Dhaka city unit.

Terming the case false, Chhatra Union condemned the arrest of the two students and demanded their release.