Two held in case against ‘Proloy’ gang over attack on Dhaka University student

Police have detained and are questioning two members of a gang after they beat student Jubayer Ibn Humayun

A case has been filed against 19 named students and six to seven others over an attack on a Dhaka University student. The perpetrators are believed to be members of the ‘Proloy’ gang - a student gang known for their criminal activity.

Police have detained two members of this ‘Proloy’ gang and are questioning them, said OC Noor Mohammad of Shahbagh Police Station.

Sadia Afroza Khan, the mother of attack victim Jubayer Ibn Humayun, filed a case of assault with intent to murder on Monday morning, the police official said.

“On Sunday night, the university administration detained two of those involved and turned them over to police custody. They are being questioned.”

The students named in the case are Tabarak Mia, Sifat Sahil, Faisal Ahmed aka Sakib, Md Sovon, Syed Nasif Imtiaz aka Sayid, Farhan Labib, Arnob Khan, Abu Rayhan, Nayeemur Rahman aka Durjoy, Saad, Rahman Zia, Mosharraf Hossain, Hedayet Noor, Mahin Manowar, Sadman Tawhid aka Barshan, Abdullah Al Arif, Prottoy Saha, Joy Biswas, and Ferdous Alam aka Emon.

All of them are in their second year at Dhaka University, having been admitted in the 2020-21 academic year.

The name of the ‘Proloy’ gang made headlines after a group assaulted Jubayer Ibn Humayun on Saturday evening.

The gang stands accused of involvement in theft, fraud, using drugs, and violence in the Suhrawardy Udyan and Dhaka University areas.

Media reports allege the gang members travel in groups across campus and set up a temporary office on the third floor of the Shaheed Budhijibi Dr Mohammad Mortaza Medical Centre on the university campus.

The matter came to a head when the news was published by the media, said Proctor Prof AKM Golam Rabbani. The administration has begun to take action – two of them are being questioned and others are being identified through their photographs, he said.

He said the two detainees would be named later.

Jubayer was having Iftar with friends in front of the Social Science Faculty at the university on Saturday when a car came through driving recklessly, according to the case documents.

The speeding car was playing loud music and splashed them with mud.

The car did not stop when Jubayer and his friends called out, Sadia Afroza Khan alleged. Jubayer and his friends finished their meal and were walking towards Curzon Hall when they saw the vehicle. They confronted the driver, asking why he was driving so recklessly. Five men then exited the vehicle, all of them identified as students of the university.

One of them told the group to leave without mincing words. When Jubayer’s group refused, they got into an argument.

After the argument, Jubayer left for Kabi Jashimuddin Hall. Later that evening, he got a call from an unknown mobile phone number asking where he was. Jubayer told the caller his location.

Then, around 7:30 pm, a group attacked Jubayer with stumps, rods, belts, and bamboo sticks with intent to murder, the case documents say. Jubayer suffered serious injuries to his head and eyes and a ligament on his right leg was torn.

When Jubayer’s friends tried to help, the attackers beat them too. They threatened to kill them.

When Jubayer fell unconscious, the attackers fled the scene. Jubayer’s friends then rushed him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.