Identity of Rangpur College Students
Landlords of dormitories ignore police order
Despite four notices issued by law enforcers during the last six months, landlords of about five hundred private dormitories in Rangpur town have failed to give identity of the college students living there.
Six months ago, a notice was issued to the landlords of about 1,500 private dormitories at Rangpur and its outskirts asking them to fill up a form giving details about the students living there, police and intelligence agency sources said.
Owners of 1,000 private dormitories followed the notice while 500 others failed to submit the students' details despite issuance of three more notices with the last one crossing deadline on September 14, said Rangpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Saleh Mohammad Tanvir.
"We are seriously looking for causes as to why the owners of these private dormitories have not submitted the forms. We will take action against them if required," he said.
Bozlar Rahman, owner of Rakib Chhatrabash at Khalifatari, said, after the initial notice was given, he and many other private dormitory owners held a meeting where they decided not to follow the notice.
He further said there is no law that gives the police the right to collect personal information about the tenants.
“We heard about the notice but we never received any form. However, we students feel giving out our personal details to the police can risk our privacy. Besides, the police have no right to take such information as there is no allegation against us,” Lablu Miah, a student of Rakib Chhatrabash, said.
Of the 500 private dormitories, the Special Branch (SB) of Police of Rangpur identified 25 at Khalifatari, Darshana, Modern point and Radhabollov as the most suspicious.
Most students living there left the houses as soon as their owners got the notice, SB sources said, adding that names of several private dormitories were changed and new students were shifted there.
During a visit to Khalifatari, this correspondent found that Retina Chhatrabas changed its name to Dhanshiri Chhatrabash. Locals said around 100 students of Carmichael College and Rangpur College, who are also cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir, lived at the private dormitory but they have left after the notice for filling the form was given.
The house owner however could not be traced to clarify as to why he changed the name.
"The residents' information will help to track any Islamist militants who may have disguised as students to live in these dormitories, and also to find the real addresses of the student leaders who lead violence at the educational institutions,” an SB official said.
Islami Chhatra Shibir cadres from other areas of the country have reportedly taken shelter at the private dormitories in Rangpur with the aim to create a chaotic situation ahead of the war crime trial and so, information on the students' whereabouts could be helpful to avert any unwanted act by them, he said.
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