Savar (Dhaka) March 4 – Denouncing attack on eminent educationist and writer Dr. Zafar Iqbal, teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) on Sunday demonstrated on the campus.The teachers and students, under the banner of ‘Teacher-Student Unity Platform’, walked in march at around 12:00 pm. The protest procession was started from the Central Shaheed Minar premises and fell in a meeting at the same point, after parading the administrative building.
Prof Nasim Akhter Hossain of Gov’t and Politics department, also the convener of the platform, said: ‘This attack was an attack on practice of free and progressive thought. It was a threat on us, who believe in free and progressive thinking’.
Questioning the security measures by the gov’t, she said: ‘During the attack, students protected and rescued Zafar Iqbal, not the cops’.
Meanwhile, the speakers at the meeting urged exemplary punishment to the offender.
Earlier at about 11:00am, JU Teachers’ Association (JUTA) formed a human chain at the Central Shahid Minar premises.
JU VC Prof Dr. Farzana Islam, expressing her concern over the attack, said: ‘This attack was just a bid to stop the practice of free thoughts. No evil power can stop the good one’.
In the meantime, she called the mass people to be united against such attacks.
Conducted by Asst. Prof Shikder Zulkernain of Archaeology department, JU Pro-VC Prof Dr. Amir Hussain, Treasurer Prof Sheikh Monzurul Huq, JUTA president Prof Nurul Alam, secretary Prof Bashir Ahmed and Prof Md. Shahedur Rashid spoke among others. – JU Correspondent
