Eight students have been expelled for varying periods after a fight and altercation among students at a Habiganj Medical College dormitory. Five more students involved in the same incident have been warned that they will face strict disciplinary action if involved in similar conduct in the future.
The information was disclosed in an office order signed Saturday night, August 29, by Habiganj Medical College principal Prof Dr Mohammad Jabed Zillul Bari.
The order states that a fight broke out among students at Habiganj Medical College’s Dormitory-1 around 12:30 a.m. on the night of August 19. Several students were seriously injured. One student’s eye was nearly destroyed. The injured student, Tafsir Ahmed, is under treatment at the National Institute of Ophthalmology in Dhaka.
Following the incident, a six-member investigation committee was formed on August 20, per a decision of the college’s 21st emergency Academic Council meeting. The investigation committee submitted its report to the medical college’s Disciplinary Committee on August 27. At a Disciplinary Committee meeting the same day, the report was reviewed and disciplinary action against the accused students was recommended.
Following this, the recommendation was approved at the Academic Council’s 22nd meeting, held Saturday afternoon. According to the office order, 7th-batch student Sharif Uddin Khan has been expelled from academic activities for seven years and permanently barred from the dormitory. Rajab Sunny, from the same batch, has been expelled from academic activities for four years and permanently barred from the dormitory. Ashish Chandra Chanda has been expelled from academic activities for two years and permanently barred from the dormitory. Additionally, 8th-batch student Abdullah Abu Affaz has been expelled from academic activities for 18 months and permanently barred from the dormitory. Md Rayhan Ali and Sajjad Islam Samrat have each been expelled from academic activities for one year and permanently barred from the dormitory. Fardin Rahman Ifti has been expelled from academic activities for six months and permanently barred from the dormitory. Meanwhile, Md Akib Mahmud has been barred from the dormitory for one year.
The office order further states that Habiganj Medical College students D M A Naif Raja Chowdhury, Md Akib Mahmud, Md Aranya Hasan Rion, Md Imtiaz Alam Bhuiyan and Mahmud Khan have been warned as instigators of the fight. If evidence emerges of their involvement in similar conduct in the future, strict disciplinary action will be taken. However, under government medical college management policy, aggrieved students may appeal to the Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education within 30 days of the order’s issuance. The office order notes that on appeal, the punishment could be reduced, increased or otherwise changed. Habiganj Medical College principal Prof Dr Zillul Bari said: “One of my students completely lost an eye in the fight on August 19. I formed an investigation committee over the incident. The investigation committee submitted its report to the Disciplinary Committee. Based on the Disciplinary Committee’s recommendation, the medical college’s Academic Council took academic action against the students found responsible. They can appeal to my higher authority within a month. However, the court will decide the outcome of the criminal case.”
He said the order took effect from August 29.