JnU Correspondent

Two leaders of the Jagannath University (JnU) unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal have been accused of extortion and attempting to take over a shop at the university's TSC area. The accused are JnU Chhatra Dal Joint Conveners Rashed Bin Hasim and Omar Faruk.

According to the victims, five students from the Anthropology department started a food stall named "Khaon Daon" in the TSC area in November 2023. While the business initially thrived, they temporarily closed it in February due to exams. Taking advantage of this closure, Chhatra Dal leaders allegedly attempted to seize the shop’s space and demanded a daily extortion fee of Tk 500. When the owners refused, the accused forcefully removed all shop materials around 1 PM on Tuesday, the victims claimed.

Shihab Pranto, a student of the 2020-21 academic session from the Anthropology department, stated, "Chhatra Dal leaders Rashed and Faruk tried to take over our shop using muscle power. Initially, they demanded Tk 500 per day, but when we refused, they removed all our shop materials without our knowledge. We have already invested around Tk 1,40,000 in the shop."

However, denying the allegations, Omar Faruk said, "We did not demand any extortion money. The shop owners had rented out their space to another trader and were taking Tk 200 per day from him. That businessman complained to us. So, we were considering renovating the shop and giving it to someone else from a humanitarian perspective."

Repeated attempts to contact Rashed Bin Hasim for comments were unsuccessful, as he did not receive phone calls.

Regarding the matter, JnU Chhatra Dal Member Secretary Shamsul Arefin said, "We have heard about the incident. We will discuss it with the convener and take necessary action."

JnU Chhatra Dal Convener Mehedi Hasan Himel said, "I am not aware of the issue. However, if the allegations are true, appropriate organizational action will be taken, and the previous owners will be allowed to continue their business normally.