Harassment allegation against student union leader at Gono University, conflicting accounts over beating claim

An allegation of sexually harassing remarks against two female classmates has been raised against Sakhawat Hossain Rudra, convener of the Dhaka district committee of a faction of the Chhatra Union, at Gono University in Ashulia, Dhaka. He is a student of the 39th batch of the university's Department of Politics and Administration.

The incident took place beside the university campus at noon on Thursday (29 October). The two female students concerned are also students of the same department's 39th batch.

According to the victims' accounts, messages checked in a Facebook group and conversations with people connected to the incident, Sakhawat had long been misbehaving with classmates. Recently, in a post on his own Facebook account addressed to classmates, he called them 'tokai' and used unprintable abuse; he later removed the post.

When the matter was raised in the 39th batch's internal Messenger group, he allegedly directed unprintable sexually harassing abuse at two female classmates there, according to the allegation. This created resentment among other students.

On Thursday afternoon, three or four classmates questioned Sakhawat about the matter at a place beside the campus. According to the allegation, he responded by threatening and abusing them in various ways. At one point the other students left him there and went to attend class.

Later in the afternoon, students saw on Facebook that Sakhawat had posted that he had been beaten. However, several students who were present at the scene said no beating took place. He reportedly remained on campus for a long time after the incident but did not inform anyone on campus about it. Several leaders of the Chhatra Union faction have since posted protests on Facebook over the incident.

Sakhawat Hossain Rudra's account is different. He said he had gone to a shop to smoke a cigarette when he was called over and spoken to about a Facebook post. He said the post was not aimed at them but at someone else. After that, he said, they threatened him and at one stage began beating him. He claims he was beaten for about seven to eight minutes—slapped as well as punched, struck on the back and head, and hurt in the ear, which left his ear aching. After the beating, he sat there for 30 to 40 minutes and left once he felt a little better. He said he would go to hospital for treatment because of a headache and would file a written complaint after obtaining the medical report; he has not yet filed any written complaint. Sakhawat, however, declined to comment on the allegations, including the sexually harassing remarks.

Jidni Islam Sami, a student of the same batch who was present at the scene, said Sakhawat frequently speaks to classmates in foul language and has abused several female students at different times. When he was asked about abusing two female classmates a few days earlier, he argued by invoking his organisation and his position. According to Sami, there was an argument there, but no beating.

Another student of the same batch, Mobarak Hossain Tanvir, also called the beating allegation a 'drama'. According to him, many people were present there, there was an argument, but no beating took place; they had an examination, and Sakhawat was still smoking a cigarette when they left.

Gono University's Deputy Registrar A K M Saifullah said he was on campus throughout office hours but received no such complaint. If a complaint is received, necessary action will be taken, he said.

Meanwhile, Sakhawat received treatment at the Dhamrai Upazila Health Complex on Thursday evening. The doctor on duty at the hospital's emergency department said the man had reported being beaten, but there were no significant injury marks on his body; he was given a prescription. The duty officer at Ashulia police station, when contacted, said no one named Sakhawat Hossain Rudra had filed any complaint there.