Dhaka, July 6 – A group of concerned guardians and citizens on Friday urged the government to conduct a judicial inquiry into the attacks on quota reformists at different universities. They also demanded that the attackers be identified and punished after their arrest.
The demands came from a demonstration staged in front of the Jatiya Press Club by teachers of different universities, guardians of the assaulted and injured students and activists of different political parties under the banner of ‘Concerned Guardians and Citizens’.
They staged their protest against the attacks on the quota reform activists allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League men across the country as well as the recent assault on university teachers.
Speakers asked the government to withdraw cases filed against the quota reformists, release the arrested ones, publish a gazette notification on the quota reform at the earliest and ensure safety in all the campuses.
Speaking at the programme, Dr Fahmidul Haq, a teacher of Mass Communication and Journalism department at Dhaka University who was also assaulted by policemen on Monday, said, “The country’s system is walking reversely as law enforcers are arresting those who are victims of the BCL attacks.”
Mentioning the incident of releasing one of the victims, Nurul Haq Nuru, from Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday without completing his treatment, he said, “I don’t understand why the government is behaving so mysteriously and using muscle power to prevent a logical move.”
Nuru, the joint convener of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council which is leading the quota reform movement, sustained injuries during the BCL attack on Saturday.
While sharing his experiences of Monday’s assault, Dr Fahmidul said they gathered there not for embarrassing the government but for placing their demands to ensure justice for the victims of the BCL attacks.
Speaking on the occasion, Nuru’s father Idris Hawladar said, “We’re the citizens of an independent country where no one should be tortured illegally. Then why my son was attacked?”
Prof Rehnuma Ahmed of Jagangirnagar University urged the government to speedily initiate an investigation into the sexual assault on a female student allegedly by BCL men in the Central Shaheed Minar area when she tried to save a Council leader from their attack.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua described the ‘refusal’ of the hospital authorities to provide treatment to the wounded quota reform activists as very unfortunate. “It’s the government responsibility to ensure the security of the protesting activists, but they’ve failed to perform their duty,” he added.
Among others, Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, Prof Ahmed Kamal of Dhaka University and Advocate Hasnat Quaium addressed the programme. – UNB
