‘Beef Feast’ Near Temple Sparks Controversy at Jagannath University; Student Shakti Leader Allegedly Involved Despite Public Calls for Communal Harmony

Controversy over slaughtering cows near a temple and cooking them before Durga Puja; ‘Zabian’s’ page alleges use of Ferdous Sheikh’s account to raise money, Chhatra Shakti denies involvement

❐ Campus Representative

A controversy has erupted over the cooking of beef next to a temple at Jagannath University (JU) and the subsequent slaughter of cows. The incident, ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja, has raised questions about religious harmony on campus, students’ rights and the role of political student organizations.

Among them, allegations have come to light that a Facebook page called ‘Jabians’ used the bank account and bKash number of Ferdous Sheikh, the general secretary of the Jagannath University branch of the National Student Power, to raise money for a cow slaughter program.

On October 12, students of the Islamic History and Culture Department cooked khichuri with beef in front of the university’s open forum. The cooking place was near the central temple, which raised objections among students of traditional religion. The incident later sparked a debate and conflicting statements among the students.

In the midst of the situation, the university administration has issued instructions to refrain from slaughtering any kind of animal on campus.

In protest against the administration’s decision, a section of students took the initiative to organize a cow slaughter and feast program. This program sparked a new controversy.

Questions about fundraising by ‘Jobian’s’ page

A page called ‘Jobians’ on social media called for collecting money for the cow slaughter program. The bank account given for sending the money belongs to Ferdous Sheikh, general secretary of the Jatiya Chhatra Shakti’s Jabi branch and the July affairs secretary of the central committee.

Similarly, the Bikash number given for sending money is also claimed to be his. In support of the claim, the complainants have mentioned a photocard and Truecaller screenshot.

Incidentally, the ‘Jabiyans’ page had earlier campaigned for a Shibir-backed panel during the JOCSU elections. The Jabi Khelafat Chhatra Majlis’ ‘Sampritibhoj and Qawwali Sandhya’ was also promoted from the page during the Puja period.

However, the complainants also stated that Ferdous Sheikh expressed his disagreement by sharing a post about the same event.

In this case, questions have been raised about the management of the page, the political campaigning, and the manner in which various programs are promoted. The identity of the actual directors of the page, the context of the posts, and the role of Ferdous Sheikh have also been questioned.

Harmony speech and political debate

Maintaining religious harmony on university campuses has gained special importance in view of the upcoming Durga Puja. On the one hand, objections to slaughtering cows next to temples and cooking meat, and on the other hand, a program to slaughter cows in protest against the administration’s ban – both incidents have brought to the fore questions of religious sentiments and mutual respect on campus.

The complainants say that there may be political links between the previous activities of the ‘Zobian’ page and the information about the fundraising for the current program. Therefore, there is a demand to investigate who is behind the page and who managed the fundraising initiative.

Meanwhile, Shahin Mia, president of the JBU branch of the National Student Union, in a statement, called the statement of the Chhatra Dal general secretary about the recent incident ‘untrue and baseless’.

According to him, the students of the Islamic History and Culture Department cooked beef in front of the university’s open stage. He also alleged that Chhatra Dal convening committee member Joy Saha created a religious issue around this incident and that JB Chhatra Dal instigated it.

Shaheen Mia claimed that no leader or activist of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti had any involvement in the beef cooking incident. He also stated in the statement that the organization does not condone any kind of communalism and is committed to maintaining harmony among people of all religions on campus.

Shaheen Mia has also promised to stand by the followers of traditional religions and provide necessary assistance to ensure that the upcoming Durga Puja is completed smoothly and in a joyful atmosphere.

However, although Chhatra Shakti’s organizational statement denied involvement, the organization did not comment on the allegation that an account was used to collect money in the name of Ferdous Sheikh.