Student council leaders ‘extort’ funds for picnic at Homeopathic Medical College

Two student council leaders of Bangladesh Homeopathic Medical College have ‘extorted’ the money collected by college authorities from students as their picnic fees.

Vice President Zahirul Islam Swapan and General Secretary Abu Taher Rimon of the student council in the college claimed themselves to be the top leaders of Chhatra League’s Homeopathic Medical College Unit, although it has a committee with a different vice-president and a general secretary.

A group of people led by Swapan and Rimon ‘snatched’ Tk 33,000, said Meer Abdul Jalil Mandal, vice-principal of the college located in Tikatuli, Dhaka. 

“They took away an amount of Tk 18,000 in picnic fees from me on Wednesday, and Tk 15,000 from our staff,” he told bdnews24.com.

The sophomore year students of the 2015-16 academic year had finished their final exams by the middle of January. The college collected picnic fees from them at the time, said the vice-principal.

He said Swapan and Rimon were included in the seven-member committee of teachers, staffs and students formed by the college principal to organise a picnic.

“Now they have taken the money collected from students,” Mandal said.

“I spoke to them and they said they’ll return the money,” said Vice-Principal Mandal when asked why they were allowed to take away the money.

When asked, Rimon admitted they took the money.

“I am the general-secretary of the student council as well as of the college unit of Chhatra League. I can legitimately keep the students’ money with me. If any student needs the money back, send him to me. We’ll return everyone’s money,” Rimon told bdnews24.com.

When contacted for his comments, Student Council Vice-President Zahirul Islam Swapan did not respond to phone calls and text messages.

Vice-Principal Mandal said Swapan and Rimon claim themselves to be the president and general secretary of the Chhatra League unit in the college, although they do not hold any position on that committee.  However, they were elected uncontested as vice-president and general secretary of the college student council, he said.

The medical science division of Bangladesh Chhatra League formed a committee in this college with Md Rezaul as president and Asifur Rahman as general secretary.

However, Swapan and Rimon have full control over the unit, according to Chhatra League activists.

The students complained that Swapan and Rimon along with their followers extorted money from them on different occasions.

“The Chhatra League leaders extort different amounts -- Tk 500 or Tk 1,000 with various excuses before every exam; we are helpless. This time the excuse was ‘picnic’. However, we learned after two months they grabbed the money from our vice-principal,” said a student of the 2015-16 academic year requesting anonymity.

“They took Tk 700 from each of us before exam, something they do frequently with different excuses and different amounts. We pay them as we know they won’t let us appear in the exam otherwise,” said another student.

Principal Saleha Khatun expressed her frustration over such activities by those student leaders.

“We are helpless. It happened before and we informed the police. Police arranged a meeting of two vice-principals and Chhatra League leaders in a bid to prevent such incidents,” said the principal.

Farid Uddin, deputy commissioner of police for Wari Zone, said previously they have received such complaints against Swapan and Rimon. 

“This time we didn’t receive any complaint but similar incidents had happened before. I had told the student leaders not to repeat it.”

Md Rezaul, president of Chhatra League unit in the college, said: “What can we do if they claim to be part of Chhatra League? I heard about the extortion and will discuss it on Sunday on the campus.”

Bayezid Ahmed Khan, president of Chhatra League Metropolitan South Division, confirmed Md Rezaul as president and Asifur Rahman as general secretary of the college unit under medical science division of Chhatra League. 

No leaders of Chhatra League’s medical science division could be contacted.