JUCSU leader accused of throwing bowl at worker after finding fly in haleem; 25 shops shut in protest

A leader of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union has been accused of throwing a bowl of haleem at a restaurant worker after allegedly finding a fly in the food at the restaurant. 

The incident took place on Tuesday night at a  restaurant in the Bottola area of the campus. In protest, shopkeepers shut down at least 25 shops around 8:00pm on Wednesday, triggering tensions between two groups of students. Members of the university’s proctorial team later intervened and brought the situation under control.

According to several students, JUCSU Health and Food Safety Secretary Husne Mobarak went to “Habib Bhai’s Hotel” on Tuesday night. Alleging that he found a fly in his food, he reportedly misbehaved with a worker and, at one point, threw a bowl of haleem at him, which hit the employee.

Describing the incident, victim Sahabuddin said, “A JUCSU leader and another person came to the shop to eat. I served them haleem and paratha. After a while, he called everyone at the shop. Finding a fly in the haleem, he said, ‘What is this!’ Then he tried to force my uncle (Billal) by grabbing his face to make him eat it. My uncle stepped back. After that, he brought the bowl of haleem and threw it toward the place where I prepare chap and haleem. Some of it fell on me as well,” he said.

The incident sparked widespread reactions on campus-based Facebook groups throughout Wednesday afternoon, drawing criticism from students.

Many questioned how an elected representative could take matters into his own hands despite the availability of administrative and legal channels to address food safety concerns.

Expressing anger over the incident, Faizan Ahmed Arko, general secretary of the JU unit of Bangladesh Students’ Union, said, “What Mobarak did is not befitting of a student. He could have raised the issue on social media or sought action through the administration. Mistakes can happen, but his behaviour reflects intimidation.”

He also said the incident has tarnished the university’s image. “At Jahangirnagar, students coexist with shop workers, rickshaw pullers, and other working-class people. There are many ways to resolve such issues. This behaviour calls that tradition into question,” he added.

In protest, shopkeepers closed their establishments around 8:00pm. Shortly after, students opposing the misconduct gathered at the spot and chanted slogans, escalating tensions.

Witnesses said students opposing the alleged misconduct were joined by activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, while another group, including JUCSU executive member Mohammad Ali Chishti, took a different stance.

One group demanded punishment for the accused leader, while the other also called for accountability but opposed shutting down the shops.

Assistant Proctor Abdur Razzak arrived at the scene as tensions escalated, with reports of verbal altercations between the two groups.

Ali Arafat Khan, a member of the convener committee of the university unit of Chhatra Dal, alleged that the JUCSU leader assaulted a worker. He said shopkeepers had shut their businesses voluntarily in protest, but a group tried to create tension to shield the accused.

JUCSU executive member Mohammad Ali Chishti said, “We all want justice over the incident. But forcibly shutting down all shops is not a solution. We were against the closure.”

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Meanwhile, Husne Mobarak denied the allegation of physically hitting the worker. “As a general student, I protested after finding a fly in foul-smelling food and threw the bowl in protest. I did not physically assault anyone,” he said.

He added that ensuring food quality is not the sole responsibility of JUCSU and that students should immediately protest if they notice irregularities.

JUCSU Vice-President Abdur Rashid Jitu said, “If there are irregularities in food quality, there are legal procedures to address them. Throwing food at someone is inappropriate. We are looking into the matter, and if the allegation is proven -- whether due to misuse of power or an impulsive reaction -- we will take organisational action.”

Assistant Proctor Abdur Razzak said the situation arose over the allegation of throwing a bowl and the subsequent closure of shops. “The situation has now been brought under control. We will sit tomorrow to resolve the issue,” he added.