Dhaka, Dec 24 – Worried at the latest bout of campus violence, parents and civil society members on Tuesday demanded that action be taken against the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and other organisations for their controversial activities on the Dhaka University campus. They made the demand in a memorandum submitted to DU Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman in protest against the attack on DU Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) Vice-president Nurul Haque Nur and his followers.
Besides, several hundred students from different institutions registered their protests against the attack on the campus and demanded punishment of the attackers.
Writer Rakhal Raha, on behalf of the concerned parents and the civil society members, read out the memorandum before the DU vice-chancellor seeking his administrative support to Ducsu VP Nur and 24 of his followers, who were injured in the attack reportedly by BCL and Muktijuddha Mancha followers.
He said allegations of such attacks were made in the past, too but the university authorities neither conducted any fair investigation into those nor ensured justice.
Under the banner of Anti-terrorism Students’ Unity, several hundred students held a protest rally at the base of the Anti-terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus protesting the attack.
Addressing the rally, Ducsu Social Welfare Secretary Akhter Hossain said, ”It’s evident that Muktijuddha Mancha launched the attack at the directive of BCL.”
He expressed the hope that the university authorities and the law forcers will take legal steps against the attackers as soon as possible.
Akhter demanded that the CCTV footage of the Ducsu Building be recovered to identify the culprits.
Blaming the DU proctor for the incident, Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC) Joint Convener Mohammad Rashed Khan said they called him over phone several times, but he did not respond. “The university administration, especially proctor Golam Rabbani, can’t avoid their responsibility. That’s why we want his immediate removal.”
Prof Dr Asif Nazrul of DU Law department, Associate Professor Dr Md Tanjimuddin Khan of International Relations department and renowned photographer Shahidul Alam expressed their solidarity with the students. – UNB
