Students of Dhaka University on Wednesday vowed to continue their protest until the authorities punish Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men who assaulted the students during the quota reform movement.
Criticizing the failure of the university authorities in taking legal steps against the assaulters, the students also demanded to ensure security of teachers and students in the campus as well as immediate release of the detained students.
More than five hundred protesting students under the banner of “All combined departments” formed a human chain at Central Shaheed Minar in the city from 11 am to 1:30 pm demanding exemplary punishment for the attackers.
While addressing the human chain, Economics Department’s Professor Rushad Faridi said, “Someone misguided BCL men and used them to carry out attack on the students.”
Although they assaulted the students, “now I hope they will join the general students and support the anti-quota movement,” he added.
Sabina Haque Labbono, a fourth year student of Biochemistry Department, said, “We are not safe in our own campus. Now any outsiders can assault us in front of university administration. It’s really shameful for us that the university authorities are supporting these assaulters instead of protecting us.”
On June 30, seven members of the quota platform, including its joint convener Nurul Haque Nur, were beaten alleged by BCL activists in front of the DU Central Library.
The attack took place when the quota reform leaders were taking preparation to hold the prescheduled press conference in front of the DU Central Library building to brief about their next course of action as the government failed to issue a gazette notification.
Since then, the pro-Awami League student organisation continued their attacks on quota reform leaders on the campus at different universities.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, students and teachers of History Department of DU formed a human chain at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla in the campus protesting the assault on a student of the department.
They also demanded the authorities to ensure the security of the students in the campus and exemplary punishment of the attackers.
Condemning the assault as well as the passive role played by the university authorities, Mehedi Hasan, a student of the department said, “It is the responsibility of the university authority to ensure the security of its students. But, they failed to do so.”
“Now in the country, people are being attacked for demanding their rights. When people stand to protest the attack carried out on them, they too become victims.”
“If democracy is there in the country why people cannot stand for their rights?” he added.
While speaking at the human chain, Prof Mohammad Abul Kawser of the department urged the government to take necessary steps to consider the logical demand of the students.
source:UNB
