DUCSU leader Zubair deny sexual solicitation, claim reporting mission

Published : Wednesday, 29 July, 2026 at 7:20 PM

DU Correspondent

Dhaka University student and DUCSU Social Welfare Secretary Jubayer Bin Nessary, along with fellow student Sefatullah Tasnim, has been embroiled in controversy after a video surfaced online showing them surrounded by transgender individuals alleging non-payment for oral sexual services.

Video, which began circulating on Facebook from Tuesday night and continued through Wednesday, depicts Zubair wearing a Dhaka University logo t-shirt while being confronted by a group identified by some as transgender sex workers, and by others as ‘hijras’, on Paribagh over bridge. Footage captures a heated exchange, culminating in one individual, who was filming, accusing Zubair and Sefatullah of engaging in oral sexual acts and refusing to pay.

Both students denied claims, asserting they were conducting journalistic data collection into prostitution in the area. Issue sparked widespread debate on social media, with the viral video attracting significant attention.

Zubair, in a Facebook post published at 2:15 AM on Wednesday, offered his account of events. He wrote that his friend, journalist Sefatullah Tasnim, had gone to Paribagh over bridge to collect news regarding the prostitution activities of third-gender individuals, and he had accompanied him. Zubair claimed to have informed the Shahbagh police administration about their visit beforehand, requesting police presence.

He alleged that upon their arrival, when Sefatullah began questioning the individuals, they became aggressive and started creating a scene. Zubair described how they turned on their cameras, began filming him and Sefatullah, and used abusive language, even physically assaulting his journalist friend. He asserted that police subsequently arrived and resolved the situation. Jubayer concluded his post by stating that the entire incident was known to the police, who were present, and that the circulating video was a false attempt to defame him, against which he was taking legal action.

Further details emerged from a video message recorded inside the DUCSU office, where Zubair reiterated his claims. He explained that Sefatullah, a journalist and columnist, had been working on issues related to transgender individuals for a long time, with articles published in various media outlets including Facebook People. Zubair stated he accompanied Sefatullah as a friend for information gathering, and due to the sensitive nature of the visit, he had informed an SI at Shahbagh police station, requesting a police force.

He described how the transgender individuals reacted aggressively to Tasnim's questions, resorting to verbal abuse and filming them. Zubair likened their behaviour to the disruptive scenes often created by the ‘hijra’ community at social events. He confirmed that police intervened and resolved the matter. Zubair emphasized that the police were aware of their presence and the purpose of their visit, dismissing the defamation attempts as entirely false and politically motivated. He confirmed filing a General Diary (GD) at Shahbagh police station against those attempting to tarnish his and Sefatullh’s reputation, providing a screenshot of the GD as proof.

Zubair was asked by The Daily Observer about that night’s incident in detail, including when he went to Paribagh, where he came from and how he travelled there, who accompanied him, the purpose of the visit, whom at Shahbagh Police Station he had informed and at what time before going there to gather news, how they identified the people seen in the video as transgender rather than hijra, the identity and affiliation of his journalist friend, what happened from the beginning to the end of the incident, what occurred off camera, how police assisted them, and his response to the trolling directed at him on social media.

In response, he said that he had gone to gather news with his friend Sefatullah, had informed the police before going, and that video recording began after the situation became tense. He added that police later arrived and brought the situation under control. He also claimed that the allegations circulating against him on social media were politically motivated and said he had filed a General Diary (GD) over the incident.

However, he did not provide clear answers regarding the exact time he arrived at Paribagh, which police official he had informed and when, how he travelled there, the basis on which the people in the video were identified as transgender, or his journalist friend's specific position.

Sefatullah, posted on Facebook at 1:29 AM on Tuesday, echoing the claim of journalistic work on transgender issues. He criticised the alleged inaction of Shahbagh police regarding prostitution by transgender individuals near the university campus and Suhrawardy Udyan.

Sefatullah, when questioned by The Daily Observer, identified himself as a freelance journalist for Vorer Bangla News and News Decoded, and a campus correspondent for Vorer Bangla News. However, he was reportedly travelling at the time and promised to respond to further questions upon his arrival in Dhaka, but failed to do so within the reporting deadline. Concerns have been raised regarding Tasnim’s campus correspondent affiliations as he is not a member of the Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (DUJA|), and members reportedly do not recognise him.

Legitimacy of ‘Vorer Bangla News’ as a registered news portal also remains unconfirmed. When asked for proof of his journalistic identity, Sefatullah provided screenshots of two articles published under his name on vorerbenglanews.com, dated October 24, 2024, and March 4, 2025.

Tasnim also shared a 26-minute, 46-second video from the YouTube channel ‘Face The People’, published on October 26, 2025. This video, an interview with DUCSU Social Welfare Secretary Jubayer by Rakibul Islam Rais, appears to be a documentary-style content about transgender individuals, which has garnered over 396,736 views. However, Sefatullah’s specific involvement with this content remains unclear. In his own Facebook post at 1:29 AM on Tuesday, Tasnim lamented the state of law enforcement, stating that prostitution by transgender individuals has been ongoing for a long time near Shahbagh police station, Suhrawardy Udyan, and the Intercontinental Hotel footbridge.

He claimed that during his information gathering with a friend, they were attacked and subjected to character assassination attempts. He criticised the Shahbagh police for their perceived inaction and fear of the transgender syndicate, despite his calls for help. Sefatullah expressed his determination to address the issue of transgender individuals on campus, warning of societal decay if the problem is not tackled.

Their account was also inconsistent in describing the individuals involved. At different points, they referred to them as ‘transgender sex workers’ and as ‘hijras’, without explaining the basis for either description or clarifying which term was accurate.

DUCSU has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. Meanwhile, allegations indicate that representatives of the Islami Chhatra Shibir in DUCSU have not been responding to journalists’ phone calls regarding the issue.

-NRE/HIS