"The Unbreakable Audacity: How a Bangladeshi Student Dominated NIT Silchar, ragged openly

For those who may have missed Part I of this riveting exposé, it revolves around a Bangladeshi student, Md. Mirajul Islam Sayem, who stands accused of subjecting over 45 fellow students to a reign of domination lasting three long years at the esteemed National Institute of Technology Silchar (NITS), one of India’s premier engineering colleges. (Read Detailed Here)

In this second part, we delve into the astonishing audacity that allowed him to openly flout the law and evade accountability. The ongoing institutional probe reveals a history of investigations into his conduct for various transgressions, including assaults on mess workers, violations of hostel rules, unauthorized summoning of juniors, and the possession and operation of a motorcycle despite a residential student.

The student in question, the focal point of this investigation, joined NIT Silchar in 2020 under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) program. It is believed that he physically entered the campus in 2021 during the nationwide lockdown, a period when the hostels at NIT Silchar were also locked-out as per government directives. Remarkably, this student swiftly made a name for himself within the local community.

His initial claim to fame came via a self-shared social media post, where he was seen delivering an envelope filled with cash to the then-Dean Academic. Several students, in their statements, have attested to this student’s repeated claims of close ties to the Dean Academic, often supported by photographs showing his association with the respected local professor. The cash-filled envelope was handed over to the Dean, a revered figure with deep roots within the local community.

Allegedly, this Bangladeshi student was entrusted by local residents from Fakirtilla and others associated with a place of worship to collect donations from Bangladesh during his return home. He successfully organized a donation drive in Bangladesh, collecting funds which he then handed over to the Dean, who held a significant role in the same place of worship. Over 15 individuals interviewed by Barak Bulletin affirmed that the student in question routinely intimidated his peers by boasting about his relationship with this specific professor.

Further allegations suggest that this professor called for an out-of-turn, unofficial “Show of Hands” to elect a new Foreign Students Representative, despite an incumbent senior actively fulfilling the role. This show of hands occurred on a day when the senior’s batchmates were absent, resulting in Sayem’s uncontested victory.

The sequence of events unfolds – Sayem’s return to campus while others were barred due to the lockdown, his active involvement in religious activities, a substantial donation to the place of worship, and images shared on social media posing with the Dean. A few days later, through the out-of-turn “Show of Hands,” he wrested the Foreign Students Representative position from his seniors. A year later, he was unable to maintain this position, which became an official post requiring an election, as an ongoing inquiry into his violation of hostel norms forced him to withdraw his nomination.

Not just the Dean! He forged an association with a PhD scholar from the same department, initially encountered at a religious gathering. While some students claim they already knew each other before joining NIT Silchar, Barak Bulletin could not definitively confirm this. It’s an open secret that research scholars, or Teachers’ Assistants, are often entrusted for evaluating papers. Here we have a junior student who hails from Bangladesh, taking photographs with the Dean, and sharing meals with a research scholar who, in all likelihood, evaluates their answer sheets and marks. These marks are rarely cross-verified by the professors who delegate the task to the research scholars. One student testified that the student under probe had threatened him with failure if he didn’t comply with his demands. While this might seem improbable in an institution of NIT Silchar’s stature, it raises questions about intimidation within his batch. The connection between the student from Bangladesh and the research scholar, much like his association with the Dean, extends beyond the campus. He has attended religious gatherings in villages and settlements outside the campus walls, sometimes “involuntarily,” to maintain a positive relationship with the religious scholar. Six students interviewed independently by Barak Bulletin confirmed that there were instances where he revealed the marks of several students before official results were released.

While it’s understandable that his juniors and batchmates might believe that Sayem can manipulate results, Barak Bulletin does not currently possess concrete evidence to confirm this. Moreover, the source of exam results may differ.

Now, let’s add the equation of Dean + Research Scholar, a formidable combination. But when you include Dean + Research Scholar + Non-Teaching Staff in the Academic department, you create a powerful alliance. NIT Silchar has faced challenges in recruiting non-teaching staff, resulting in the Academic, Accounts, and Establishment sections being managed by individuals with questionable integrity. A thorough probe into the academic qualifications of a specific non-teaching staff member may expose document forgery, including false BA Pass credentials.

Barak Bulletin has gathered sufficient evidence to indicate that this non-teaching staff member invited Bangladeshi Student and his friends, one of whom was later expelled for assaulting three mess workers, to numerous meals at his residence. Furthermore, this staff member received various gifts, including perfume, clothing, and soap. The same staff member aided the student in concealing the ownership of a motorcycle.

In this scenario, we have a student who takes photographs with a Dean, secures the Foreign Students’ Representative position out of turn, shares meals and participates in religious gatherings with a research scholar not just in the campus but miles outside, and is invited to the home of a non-teaching staff responsible for Foreign Students’ Representatives’ files in the Academic section. The same student is also entrusted with organizing campus festivals, sidelining his seniors. His exploits have resulted in photographs with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, the Commissioner, and other esteemed dignitaries, prominently displayed on social media. Given this dynamic, what are the chances of a junior student reporting ragging and lodging a complaint against this influential figure? Unfortunately, very little to none.

Most of the 47 students who provided statements against him hail from Bangladesh belonging to both Hindu and Muslim religion. He orchestrated his reign of torture primarily among this specific group of international students, a minority in comparison to the overall student body, which currently houses 109 international students against thousands of Indian students. According to most statements, this particular student actively engaged in ragging students since 2022, flouting the law for over a year.

Unless there’s a Part 2.5 in the story, consisting of a detailed interview with the director, Part III will tackle the most pressing question: Why Now? Why is this probe taking place at this juncture? Even if the former Dean Academic showed favoritism towards him, what steps did the former Dean of Students’ Welfare take when students of the institution were subjected to mental torture in the form of ragging? NIT Silchar is a taxpayer-funded institution, ranked among the nation’s elite. How did such a flagrant breach of order escape the notice of the entire system? Part III is in the works, and while we can’t provide a specific deadline, it’s coming soon, so stay tuned for the next chapter of this shocking saga.