Over 100 Dhaka University (DU) students formed a human chain on the campus on Tuesday, protesting the attacks on the leaders and activists of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, a platform that spearheads the quota reform movement, by BCL men across the country.
The students formed the human chain under the banner of ‘Students against Repression’ at the foot of Raju Memorial Sculpture from 11 am to 12 noon.
Speaking on the occasion, Abu Raihan Khan, a third year student of Mass Communication and Journalism department, said although the BCL men carried out the attacks on the quota reformists before the eyes of the DU administration, it has not taken any step yet against the attackers. “As human beings, we can’t remain silent in this situation. We hope the university authorities will take immediate steps to find out the attackers and hand them over to police.”
Umme Habiba Benajir, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, said, “The movement for quota reforms is a logical one and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament that the quota system in government jobs will be abolished. The students are demanding that PM’s promise is fulfilled but the BCL men together with outsiders are attacking the students.”
Later, the students brought out a procession which marched towards the DU Proctor office. They took position there from 12 noon to 1 pm.
Meanwhile, DU Proctor Golam Rabbani said they will take steps after getting written complaints from students. “I’ll discuss the matter with higher authorities of the Dhaka University,” he said addressing the protesting students.
Besides, the BCL leaders and activists under the banner of ‘General Students’ formed a counter-human chain at the foot of the Raju Sculpture in the afternoon protesting ‘rumour’ over the quota system.
Earlier on Monday, several activists of the Council were injured in attacks allegedly by BCL activists and police when they tried to stage their scheduled programme in different universities.
On Saturday, at least six leaders of the platform were injured in an attack allegedly by the BCL activists on the Dhaka University campus.
Protesting the attack, the Council called an indefinite boycott of classes and examinations in all universities and colleges across the country from Sunday.
On Sunday, detectives arrested Rashed Khan, joint convener of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, from Bhasantek in the city. Another joint convener Faruk Hassan was also shown arrested in a case.
In April, students of public and private universities across the country waged a strong movement demanding reforms in the quota system.
In the face of student agitations, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in parliament on April 11 the abolition of all types of quotas in public jobs.
As no gazette notification has so far been issued regarding the abolishment of the quota system as per the PM’s declaration, the leaders of the Council gathered in front of DU central library on Saturday to hold a pre-scheduled press conference to announce their fresh programme. But, BCL activists reportedly carried out an attack on them around 10:50 am.
