Expel BCL men who assaulted journos: DU journalism students

Dhaka, Sept 24 – Students of the Mass Communications and Journalism Department of Dhaka University (DU) on Tuesday demanded permanent expulsion of those Chhatra League men assaulted the journalists on early Monday in the campus.The students gave three day ultimatum to the university authority to suspend the students and threatened that they would go for tougher movement, if the authority does not meet their demand within the ultimate time.
They also demanded to ensure freedom of press in the campus to make a democratic environment in the campus.
The demand came from a human chain formed in front of the central library of the campus.
General Secretary of Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) Mahdi Al-Muhantasim Nibir
expressed his solidarity with the demands of the students.
While addressing Nibir urged the university administration to take action against the attackers saying, “It was a vicious attack on journalists. If the media on campus is not safe, it is a bad signal for everyone. We strongly condemn the attack and demand proper punishment “.
While speaking in the human chain, Mohiuddin Mahi, a second-year student at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism said, “The attack on journalists is shameful. How the university administration give security of the general students where journalists are not even safe?”
“We demand exemplary punishment of the attackers as well as suspending them from the university to avoid such incident in future”, he added.
“Those who attacked the journalists were not students; the work of a student could not be such inhumane. We strongly condemn the incident, as well as demand permanent expulsion of those BCL men involved with the incident”, said another student, Shah Mahbubur Rahman.
Victim journalist Nurul Afsar said, “I was walking like a normal student. BCL men were beating the Chhatra Dal activists. When I bring out my phone to capture pictures, BCL men attacked me led by its DU unit president Sanjit Chandra Das.
Earlier on Sunday, BCL men assaulted three journalists—Anisur Rahman of Students Journal, Rahatul Islam Rafee of Dainik Pratidiner Bangladesh, Afsar Munna of Dainik Business Bangladesh—while beating Chatra Dal men in TSC area.
Bangladesh Chhatra League DU chapter President Sonjit Chandra Das and General Secretary Md Saddam Hussain apologized for the attack on journalists after coming to Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (Duja), two hours after the attack and said that they would take action against the attackers. – Staff Reporter