Fresh ragging allegations have emerged at Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) after a female student fell ill during an harassment incident inside a residential hall and had to be hospitalized.
The incident occurred around 5:00 PM on Thursday (October 8) inside room 1035 of Gana Tantra Hall.
The victim, Anika Afrin, a first-year student of the Information and Communication Engineering (ICE) department (2025–26 session), was rushed to Assort Hospital near the Mujahid Club area in Pabna city after her condition deteriorated.
According to victimized students, several senior female students from the 2024–25 session—identified as Samiha, Urmi, Nishat, Shreya, Mim, Maria, Afia, Farjana, and Ifti—called seven freshers from the 2025–26 session under the pretext of organizing a picnic. However, once inside the room, the freshers were subjected to verbal abuse, intense interrogation, and personal harassment.
"They summoned us under the guise of discussing a picnic, but immediately started berating us," Anika recalled from her hospital bed. "They ordered me to imitate the sounds of ten different four-legged animals. They interrogated me about why I visited the campus lake, why I went to the reading room, and why I was seen talking to male students. They even seized my phone to check my social media friend requests."
Anika added that she suddenly began experiencing neck stiffness and severe shortness of breath before collapsing. Another fresher, Jhuma, also fell ill earlier during the ordeal and was moved to another room, though the harassment continued for the rest of the group.
Witnesses noted that seniors delayed seeking medical help for over an hour despite the students' distress, allowing Anika to be taken to the emergency room only after fellow freshers broke down in tears.
Repeated calls to the accused students, Samiha and Urmi, went unanswered.
Following the incident, PUST Proctor Prof. Dr. Kamruzzaman Khan and Student Advisor Prof. Dr. Rashedul Haq visited the hospital alongside other administration officials to check on Anika's condition.
"The university administration maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy against ragging," stated Proctor Prof. Dr. Kamruzzaman Khan. "Ragging is completely unacceptable, and prompt disciplinary action will be taken upon completing an investigation."
This incident marks the latest in a series of recurring ragging complaints reported at the campus in recent years.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by M. S. Rahman, Pabna, Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
