DU seniors accused of ragging juniors at Jagannath Hall rooftop

At least six senior students of Dhaka University (DU) have been accused of verbally abusing and humiliating 17 juniors during a late-night “ice-breaking” session at Jagannath Hall.

The incident allegedly took place around 12:30 AM on Friday on the rooftop of Rabindra Building at Jagannath Hall, involving students from the Tourism and Hospitality Management department.

According to the complaint, seniors from the 2023�"24 session summoned juniors of the 2024�"25 session and subjected them to verbal abuse under the guise of an introductory programme. Victims said they were earlier called to another location on campus where similar behaviour occurred.

One of the victims, Md Rakibul Islam Rakib, said they were brought to the rooftop through their class representative and asked to introduce themselves strictly in Bangla. “Minor mistakes led to abusive remarks. It felt humiliating, but we couldn’t leave midway,” he said, adding that several students eventually walked out in protest.

Another student, Md Shahadat Hossain, confirmed that slang and offensive language were used, although he claimed the situation eased later and refreshments were provided.

Among the accused is Jitu Al Ahsan, reportedly affiliated with a student political body, along with several others residing in different halls.

Responding to the allegations, Jitu denied wrongdoing, claiming the session was meant to address behavioural issues of juniors. Another accused, Rezwan Mahmud Faruqi, described the complaint as a misunderstanding, citing a departmental tradition of informal orientations ahead of official programmes.

Jagannath Hall Provost Prof Debashish Pal said he has instructed relevant authorities to investigate the matter and issue show-cause notices to the accused students.

Tourism and Hospitality Management Department chairman Prof Dr Md Shariful Alam Khondkar said no formal complaint had yet reached him but assured that appropriate action would be taken if the allegations are substantiated.

NRE/AM