2 expelled ULAB students secure bail hours after their arrest
The two expelled students of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), were released on bail hours after they were arrested from Dhaka's Mohammadpur Beribadh area today in a case filed by the university authorities.
The students are -- Mahmood Sadaat Ruhul and Raihan Atique, both 8th semester students of Media Studies and Journalism department. They have been demanding a 50 percent waiver of tuition fees.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Yasmin Ara granted the bail on bond of Tk 10,000 after the duo was produced before her court this evening, court sources said.
Earlier, police arrested them following the case filed by the university's security officer on Friday, said Dulal Hossain, inspector (operations) of Mohammadpur Police Station, also the investigation officer of the case.
ULAB Proctor Wazir AF Ahmed told The Daily Star that the arrestees along with few others were trying to pursue an agenda.
"We told them several times to move away from it. We met with them. But they didn't listen to us. On Thursday, they locked our permanent campus and barred movement till 10:00pm.
"There were few students. We saw some outsiders too. Yesterday, they carried out vandalism there and injured one of our staff members. Following the incidents, the university authorities filed a case yesterday," said the proctor.
"I don't know if they were arrested. You know, two students were expelled earlier. Those who were expelled, we can't treat them as our students anymore. That's why, as a proctor, I can't do anything about it," he said.
Earlier, ULAB expelled the two students -- Sadaat and Raihan -- for demanding 50 percent waiver of tuition fees during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the protesting students.
The university authorities in the expulsion notices said that they expelled the students for pursuing an agenda to malign ULAB's image. They claimed that the students shared "false" information regarding tuition fees, termination of staff members and more on social media and to the press.
Both students earlier said that the university has expelled them as they were taking part in a demand -- since October 23 -- for 50 percent waiver of tuition fees during the pandemic.
Their other demands include cancellation of all student activities fees -- like computer lab fee, library fees and others -- and providing digital devices and internet packages.
The ULAB authorities filed the case with Mohammadpur Police Station against them on Friday night.
According to the case statement, the students vandalised CCTV camera and other infrastructures of the university.
Sadaat is also a leader of Bangladesh Students' Union Dhaka city unit.
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