After beef feast near Dhaka temple, students plan cow slaughter during Durga Puja

A controversy over a beef khichuri event near a temple in Dhaka's Jagannath University in Dhaka has snowballed into a major dispute over religious sensitivities, campus rules and the rights of students to organise events. A group of Islamic history students has now announced plans to slaughter cows on the campus on Friday, October 16, coinciding with Durga Puja. Earlier, the university officials had issued a notice asking students to refrain from animal slaughter on the premises, which was later overturned.The planned event on Friday coincides with Maha Shashthi, which marks the beginning of Durga Puja.According to reports on BBC Bangla and The Daily Star, the dispute began on Monday, October 12, when students from the 17th batch (2021-22 academic session) of the Department of Islamic History and Culture organised a beef khicuri cookout near the university's Muktamancha (an open-air stage), close of the campus's central temple.Hindu students subsequently objected to the location, saying it hurt their religious sentiments. Speaking to BBC Bangla, Joy Saha, member secretary of Jagganath University's' Central Temple Management Committee, stated that students approached the kichuri cookout organisers after discovering that beef was being cooked. He said the proximity to the temple caused distress and that they asked the organisers to move elsewhere. A heated exchange followed before Professor Md Azam Khan intervened, sending an assistant proctor to calm things down. The feast organisers subsequently moved further from the temple, and stated that they had no intention of hurting anyone's religious sentiments.DISPUTE OVER TEMPLE BRICKSThis, however, was not the end of the story. Allegations soon surfaced that the organisers of the cook-out had used bricks belonging to the temple to build a temporary oven to cook the beef khichuri. According to a report by the Dhaka-based outlet, The Daily Star, the students who organised the cookout had initially planned to cook the khichuri in the university cafeteria itself. The plan was scuppered thanks to low cooking gas pressure and the organisers elected to shift to an outdoor location. While setting up a temporary oven, they ended up using bricks which they said they found nearby, unaware they belonged to the campus temple, said the event organisers.The organisers later removed the bricks, brought an iron stove from the cafeteria and apologised for the misunderstanding, reported The Daily Star. However, Saha told BBC Bangla that the primary concern was the cooking arrangement's proximity to the temple, rather than the bricks.In any case, the cat was out of the bag. The same night, aggrieved Hindu students staged a demonstration and formed a human chain, demanding an impartial enquiry and safeguards for religious shrines on campus, reported The Daily Star. Central Temple Management Committee Convener Ajoy Paul, meanwhile, was reported by the newspaper as calling for administrative action to protect the temple's sanctity and ensure communal harmony.UNIVERSITY ISSUED TWO NOTICESFollowing the October 12 dispute, officials at Jagannath University issued a notice on Wednesday, October 14, asking student, teachers and staff to refrain from slaughtering animals on campus grounds, citing the need to maintain a hygienic environment.According to the BBC Bangla report, the notice referred to a Dhaka South City Corporation public notice concerning animal slaughter and meat regulation. Under Bangladesh's Animal Slaughter and Meat Quality Control Act, 2011, slaughter outside designated slaughterhouses is subject to legal restrictions, while violations can attract penalties.The announcement triggered objections from some students, who viewed it as a restriction on their right to organise a beef feast, given the dispute that had transpired two days before.Professor Azam Khan told BBC Bangla that the administration had issued the notice after learning of plans for animal slaughter. He said it wanted to prevent tensions from escalating during ongoing religious observances.Later that day, the university issued a second notice clarifying its position. It said the original misunderstanding over the cookout had been resolved through the proctor's intervention and subsequent discussions between the parties.The administration apologised for the misunderstanding caused by its earlier notice and said students had the right to organise events on campus, including those involving animal slaughter. However, it urged everyone to ensure that one group’s activities did not obstruct another’s.STUDENTS ORGANISE BEEF FEAST IN PROTESTThe university's clarification that the notice to refrain from beef slaughter was not related to the dispute on October 12, failed to calm tempers. A group of students has now announced plans for a beef feast on Friday, October 16, describing it as a protest against the administration’s initial notice.A member of the organising committee, speaking on condition of anonymity, told BBC Bangla that the students had initially considered holding the event after Durga Puja."Since there is so much anger over cows, we were thinking of organising a cow event after Durga Puja. But yesterday, when the administration issued a notice saying cows could not be slaughtered on campus, it hurt the students," the organiser said.The organiser indicated that the event would likely take place in an open field near the Arts Building rather than beside the temple.According to BBC Bangla, organisers have collected contributions and purchased a cow. Bangladesh Islamist Chhatra Majlis, a student organisation affiliated with the far-right Islamist party, the Khelafat Majlis, has also reportedly offered to provide another. Social media announcements invited participants to register for Taka 70.Jagannath University Central Students’ Union General Secretary Abdul Alim Arif told BBC Bangla that student representatives had met university officials and reached an understanding that the event could proceed.Proctor Azam Khan said the slaughter, if held, should be conducted in a restrained manner to prevent another dispute over religious sensitivities.Saha also told BBC Bangla that the temple committee did not object to students slaughtering cows elsewhere on campus, provided the activity did not take place in front of the temple or disrupt its activities.The university has urged students to respect one another’s religious practices and ensure that campus events do not interfere with others.- Ends(Written by Shounak Sanyal)