Shawdesh Desk:

The High Court on Wednesday ordered the Islamic University authorities to suspend its five female students who were found involved in the torture and humiliation of a first year student at Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the campus.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order.

The court also asked the university authorities to remove the provost from the dormitory.

The five students are—vice president of IU unit Bangladesh Chhatra League Sanjida Chowdhury Antara of Statistics Department, activists Tabassum Islam of Finance and Banking Department, Israt Zahan Meem of Law Department, Halima Khatun Urmi of Fine Arts Department, Moabiya of Finance and Banking Department.

The five suspended students won’t be allowed to take part in the academic activists of the university and cannot stay on the campus, said the court.

Besides, it asked the IU authorities to allot Fulpori Khatun  a dormitory as per her choice.

Advocate Gazi Md Mohsin stood for the writ petitioner and Advocate Shah Manjurul Haque stood for Islamic University while Deputy Attorney General tushar Kanti Roy represented the state.

On Tuesday, the judicial inquiry committee formed to probe the torture on Fulpori Khatun, a first year student of Banking and Finance Department of the university, found that the girl was tortured brutally and inhumanly and the university authorities failed to act properly.

It also found the five students responsible for the incident.

The report was submitted before High Court bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice Raziq Al Jalil

The HC bench fixed Wednesday for passing an order in this regard.

The inquiry committee found their involvement in the incident and said hall provost and house tutor totally failed to perform their responsibilities.

The university proctor also showed negligence and indifference in discharging his duties, said the report.

Fulpori, a first year student of Finance and Banking department, was tortured and humiliated by Islamic University unit of BCL vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Antara and her cohorts at Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the campus in Kushtia on February 12.

The incident came to light after the victim left the hall and disclosed the matter to her seniors and her family members the next day.

The BCL leader also threatened that she would release the video on social media if the student discloses the matter to anyone, according to the complainant.

The student lodged a written complaint with the university administration, including the university proctor, student adviser and the hall provost, demanding punishment of those involved in the incident on February 14.

Two probe bodies were formed by the Islamic University authorities and the Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall administration after the victim’s complaints to them.

The probe bodies submitted their probe reports to the university administration on Sunday.

A writ petition was also filed by Gazi Mohammad Mohsin, an alumnus of the university and a lawyer, with the High Court.

The Kushtia district administration, meanwhile, formed a three-member inquiry committee, led by additional district magistrate ANM Abujar Gifari, and asked it to submit the inquiry report within seven days following a High Court order on February 20.

Accused BCL leader Antara and activist Tabassum left the hall following the High Court order.

The five students were expelled from Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on Monday as the hall authorities found their involvement in the assault on Fulpori.