Over the past two and a half years, leaders and activists of the Jagannath University unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of the Awami League, have owed the university cafeteria debts of Tk 7 lakh.聽
Masud Rana, the cafeteria鈥檚 director, confirmed the information to campus reporters on Wednesday.
According to Rana, BCL leaders and activists have eaten meals worth about Tk 7 lakh without making payments, and most of them have become untraceable since the fall of Sheikh Hasina on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising.
It is reported that the JnU BCL unit president, Ibrahim Farazi, owes Tk 1.88 lakh, while the general secretary, SM Akhtar Hossain, owes Tk 2.5 lakh.
Additionally, five other BCL leaders have also debt arrears.
Among them, Rabiul Islam Rabi, known as the 鈥榬ight-hand man鈥� of the unit president, owes Tk 52,000. The group leader of the general secretary-led faction, Miraj, owes Tk 75,000 and vice-president Mehedi Hasan Babu owes Tk 55,000.
Two more leaders from Akhtar Hossain鈥檚 panel, Tamim and Sajbul, owe Tk 12,000 and Tk 9,000 respectively.
Together, the total debt attributed to these seven individuals stands at Tk 6.41 lakh.
鈥楾hey kept promising to pay, but never made it. There are others too, whose smaller debts aren鈥檛 accounted for. Some of them even physically assaulted canteen staff members when their orders were delayed,鈥� cafeteria director Masud Rana lamented.
Rana also said that weekly operational costs of the cafeteria amounted to Tk 39,750 totalling Tk 1.59 lakh per month, excluding the cost of supplies.
He now faces the challenge of recovering the outstanding debts and compensating for the losses incurred.
鈥業 have been even forced to buy supplies on credit. I don鈥檛 know how I will pay off my loans,鈥� he said.
Contacted, the university鈥檚 director of student welfare, KAM Rifat Hasan, said, 鈥業 was unaware of this situation. If the allegations are proved to be true and these individuals are regular students, measures will be taken to recover the money. The administration will discuss the matter to determine appropriate action.鈥�
The BCL leaders could not be reached for their comments despite repeated attempts over the phone.