Why Were Five Bangladeshi Students Suspended by NIT Silchar and Deported?
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Key Takeaways
Guwahati, Sep 16 (NationPress) Five students from Bangladesh, who faced suspension from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) located in Assam’s Silchar, have been returned to their homeland, as confirmed by officials on Tuesday.
Dilip Kumar Baidya, the director of NIT, stated to IANS, “We have implemented strict measures against these five students studying under Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships, following their involvement in violent confrontations on campus earlier this month. After their suspension, the students were sent back to Bangladesh as they will no longer be able to attend classes here.”
All five students, currently in their third year, were reportedly found with narcotic substances, according to officials.
Prof. Dilip Kumar Baidya confirmed that they have been suspended for two semesters.
“We possess sufficient evidence establishing their participation in the violence. They have been suspended for one full academic year and expelled from the hostel. As they cannot continue their studies here, they have been repatriated,” Baidya mentioned.
The violence occurred on the night of September 8, when a group of Bangladeshi students allegedly assaulted their fellow compatriots. Eyewitnesses reported that the accused, seemingly under the influence of drugs, engaged in a rampage wielding rods, knives, and screwdrivers, resulting in injuries to multiple students.
The assault lasted nearly 30 minutes, leading to two students being admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital with serious head injuries.
S.S. Dhar, the dean of students’ welfare, noted that narcotic substances were seized from the rooms of the accused.
“The main motivation for disciplinary action was the campus violence, but suspected drug use was also a factor,” he remarked.
According to fellow students, the attackers initially targeted peers from their own batch before turning on senior students who attempted to intervene.
Witnesses claimed that the lights were intentionally switched off during the assault to exacerbate the attack. The institute conducted an internal investigation, while an ICCR representative from the Guwahati zonal office also visited the campus.
“We are satisfied with the investigation and the disciplinary actions taken. The visiting ICCR director was also convinced, hence there was no necessity to involve the police,” Dhar concluded.