Bangladesh Chhatra League activists attack a human chain formed on the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College campus in Barisal on Monday. — Focusbangla photo

Activists of the ruling party-backed Bangladesh Chhatra League on Monday  attacked and beat up students protesting at the alleged homosexual assault of a fellow student by BCL men on the Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College campus.

Five, including two female students of SBMC, were assaulted by the attackers.

Students said a group of BCL activists had pounced on the protesters attending a human chain on the campus

around midday, assaulted some of the participants and hurled abuses at them before the police arrived and controlled the situation.

SBMC unit of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front organised the human chain in front of the college academic building in protest at the homosexual assault of Abu Noman, a student of 43rd batch, and taking the picture on mobile in a bid to blackmail him allegedly by BCL activists on June 25.

The attackers beat up Manisha Chakrabarty, a 4th year student, Nabila Alam, daughter of the SBMC principal and 4th year student, Imran Habib Rumon, Riazul Huq Sumon and Badruddoza Saikat and broke up the protest programme, participated mostly by the female students of SBMC, including the daughter of the principal, witnesses and the victims said.

They said BCL activists Anisur Rahman, Plabon and some others led by Harunur Rashid, president of SBMC unit BCL, had attacked the protesters.

Hearing the news, the college principal Shahidul Alam went to the spot and assured the protesters of action against those responsible. He asked the students to postpone the protest programme for the sake of peace on the campus as the college authorities had already formed a probe committee.

The college principal said the authorities had formed a seven-member committee led by vice-principal Syed Maksumul Huq on Sunday to probe the alleged homosexual assault of Abu Noman by BCL activists and asked it to submit a report in days.

The vice-principal said the committee had called a meeting for Tuesday and asked the victim, accused students, teachers and college staff members to give their statements.

Harunur Rashid, SBMC unit BCL president, denied they had attacked the protesters saying said they had chased away outsiders who were trying to disturb peace on the campus.

Abu Noman, a SBMC student of 43rd batch, was homosexually assaulted allegedly by Abdul Kaiyum, Ziaul Huq Sumon and Anwar, SBMC students and leaders of the college unit BCL, in room 302 of the college hostel on June 25. They also recorded the picture on mobile phone to blackmail him into paying them money.

The media carried the report of the incident after then father of the victim, retired school teacher Sohrab Hossain, informed the SBMC principal about the matter in writing.