Secret Shibir 'den' at RU dormitory unearthed

29 December 2009, 17:00 PM

A RU Correspondent

Authorities of Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Hall at Rajshahi University (RU) on Monday found a 'den' of Shibir men allegedly used secretly by them for various purposes. The room was located adjacent to the recently busted Shibir controlled WAMY Bangladesh office from where more than 500 'jihadi' (pro-Islamist uprising) books were seized. Hall sources said, while cleaning the WAMY office room on Monday, the authorities found discovered the secret room. The room was built by demolishing partitions of three toilets adjacent to the formerly Shibir controlled room. Sources said, Shibir built it in cooperation with the former hall administration for keeping weapons during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat led government. Shibir also used the room as a hideout during the raids. However, nothing but a wooden shelf was found in the room on Monday. Sources observed they might have removed the lethal weapons recently sensing raid by RU authorities any time. Prof Mortoza Khaled, provost of Shamsuzzoha Hall, said even he was not aware of any such room in the hall premises. "The room was set up during the tenure of BNP-Jamaat led government for helping Shibir activities defying the university rules and regulations", the provost said. "I informed the matter to the university proctor and law enforcers as it is illegal to set up any such office at RU hall", Prof Mortoza said. Later, the university proctorial body led by proctor Prof Chowdhury Zakaria and police visited the room. Prof Zakaria said he will take legal steps on receipt of the report of investigation committee. A number of resident students alleged that during the Liberation War in 1971, Pakistani army used Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Hall as their 'cantonment' in Rajshahi zone and carried out massacres, now the anti-liberation forces are again making it their stronghold for conducting armed activities on the campus. Earlier on Saturday night, police in presence of RU authorities seized more than 500 'jihadi' (pro-Islamist uprising) books, kept for distribution by World Assembly of Muslim Youths (WAMY), from a Shibir controlled room at the hall. The RU proctor formed a probe committee on the day to investigate the matter.