Some students from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) are calling for urgent action following a distressing cycle of death threats and cyberbullying allegedly by members of the Islami Chhatra Shibir and extremist groups. These threats have targeted students vocal about the group's incitement to violence and ideological brainwashing, they said.
They referred to arrests of 24 BUET students affiliated with Islami Chhatra Shibir for allegedly planning subversive activities. Despite the charges, these students continue to attend classes and reside in the university dormitories, raising concerns among their peers, the students said.
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While speaking to media at Shaheed Minar on the campus, the affected students detailed the ongoing harassment they face, including social media vilification and direct death threats.
The situation has escalated with the discovery of CCTV footage showing the distribution of leaflets from an outlawed terrorist organisation on campus, purportedly attempting to recruit students for "crusades against Western nations."
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In response to the threats, the students have sought protective measures from the university authorities to prevent further intimidation. They also expressed fear of eviction from their dormitories, a concern they have formally reported to the university administration.
The press briefing follows a statement from the Sector Commanders Forum, deploring what they described as an alarming spike in efforts by Jamaat-e-Islami and its student arm Islami Chhatra Shibir to glorify war criminals and undermine war crimes through social media targeting university students.
The content notably targeted former BUET students who faced violent attacks in 2013 including student leaders Tonmoy Ahmed and Arif Raihan Dip. These attacks, linked to the same radical groups, resulted in the death of Dip and severe injuries to Ahmed after a hate campaign accused them of being "enemies of Islam."