A leader and four activists of the Islamic University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, were expelled from Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on Monday as the hall authorities found their involvement in torturing and humiliating a fresher of the finance and banking department of the university.

The decision was taken in an emergency meeting of the Sheikh Hasina Hall administration with its provost, M Shamsul Alam, in the chair in the afternoon.

The expelled students are IU BCL unit vice-president Shanjida Chowdhury Ontora of the statistics department and her associates Tabassum and Maobiya of the finance and banking department, Halima Khatun Urmi of the fine arts department, and Israt Jahan Mim of the law department.

IU Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall provost Shamsul Alam told New Age that they expelled Ontora and four others as the probe body formed by the hall administration found their involvement in torturing and intimidating the fresher.

Two probe bodies were formed by the Islamic  University authorities and the Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall administration respectively on February 14 and 15, after the victim had lodged complaints with them.

The probe bodies submitted their reports to the university administration on Sunday.

A three-member probe body was also formed by the IU BCL unit to look into the matter on February 15.

The IU BCL unit vice-president and convener of the probe body, Munshi Kamrul Hasan Anik, said that they submitted the report to the central BCL through email for further action on Sunday.

IU probe body convener professor Reba Mondol declined to say anything regarding the investigation report.

According to IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan, the investigation report was sent to the High Court on Monday morning by the university’s deputy registrar Moniruzzaman Milton.

The university administration would take action against the accused involved in the ragging incident according to the direction of the High Court, he added.

On February 12 night, a first-year female student of the finance and banking department was reportedly tortured and intimidated by IU BCL unit vice-president Ontora and her associates, including Tabassum, Mim, Urmi, and Maobiya, at Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall on the university campus in Kushtia.

At one stage, Ontora forced the victim to undress and videoed the incident on her mobile phone.

The BCL leader also threatened that she would make the video viral on social media if the victim disclosed the matter to anyone, according to the complainant.

On February 14, the victim lodged a written complaint with the university administration, including the proctor and the student adviser of the university and the hall provost, demanding punishment for those who perpetrated the torture and humiliation.

A writ petition was also filed with the High Court by Gazi Mohammad Mohsin, an alumnus of the university and a lawyer, on February 16.

The Kushtia district administration, meanwhile, formed a three-member inquiry committee, led by additional district magistrate ANM Abujar Gifari, and asked it to submit the inquiry report within seven days following a High Court order on February 20.

Accused BCL leader Ontora and activist Tabassum left the hall following the High Court order.