Dhaka, July 5 – Female students from different halls of Dhaka University organized a protest rally and human chain on Thursday morning, in continuation of the agitation that began at female the dorms Tuesday night, demanding a campus safe for students.
In the banner of “We want safe campus”, they paraded through campus this morning chanting slogans against the imprisonment of university students and demanding their unconditional release. In the meantime, another group demonstrated at the base of Raju Sculpture, holding a banner of ‘General Students’, demanding an end to unrest on the campus. They were saying, they want to walk away from agitation and go back to their education.
Students claimed this group is being led by ruling party’s student front Chhatra League who attacked the students earlier this week, beating them up ruthlessly.
Meanwhile, Students of the Department of Sociology at Dhaka University demonstrated demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Moshiur Rahman, a student of the department who was allegedly picked up by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists on June 30. Later, it was discovered that he was in Keraniganj Police Station.
However in another incident at a press briefing in front of Rokeya Hall of DU Mariam Mannan Farah, first year honors student of Political Science department at Tejgaon College, who participated in the ongoing quota reform movement, yesterday shared her terrible experiences of physical assault, verbal abuse and mental torture allegedly by activists opposing quota reform movement and policemen.
Mariam said that when she got into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to return to her residence, around two hundred boys on motorbikes blocked her near the Shaheed Minar.
“They used abusive words at me which I cannot utter. Later they entered the vehicle and touched me. Every moment inside the CNG seemed to be in hell. After this, they took me to the Shahbagh Police Station. I thought I would be safe there, but it was no different. Just after going there, police brought out a knife from my bag. They called me a prostitute and tried to make me confess to being an addict,” she said.
Asked about the identities of those boys, she said they were just boys as she does not know whether they belonged to Bangladesh Chattra League (BCL), the student front of the ruling party.
In Rajshahi, the authorities of Rajshahi Medical Hospital released weak Tariqul Islam in name of better treatment to a private medical college of Rajshahi. He was released from the hospital yesterday around 4 pm.
A relative of Tariqul confirmed the matter. Earlier, Tarikul Islam Tarek, an RU student and a leader of the quota reform movement, had to be admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital with serious injuries. In the photos and footage published in the media BCL activist, Abdullah Al Mamun was seen pounding on his back and legs with a hammer.
Referring to the release of the injured student, as section teachers of Rajshahi University (RU) condemned it and termed it as inhuman which is a shame for Bangladesh.
Hospital authorities forced him to leave the hospital instead of giving proper treatment there, they alleged at a press conference held at 5.30pm at Rabindra Arts faculty.
Family members said that hospital authorities forced his relatives to release him from the hospital only saying he is good and admit him to a better hospital but they did not say why they released him.
Fatema Khatun, sister of the victim said, “RMC authorities handed over the release paper to police and police forces us to leave the hospital. We are unable to protest the decision of hospital authority or the police.”
The health condition of her brother is not satisfactory as he was injured badly only two days ago but they had nothing to do other than going out, she added. A doctor (on condition not to publish his name) of the hospital suggested her to leave hospital today (Thursday) and readmit him two days later, she further said.
Constable, Nazmul and Habilder Hasinur deployed to guard Tariqul, did not agree to talk with media saying that they have authorities’ pressure.
MAK Shamsuddin, head of the orthopaedic department of the hospital, said it would take at least three months for the broken bones to heal. For better treatment, he was released around 4 pm on Thursday from hospital and relative admitted him to the Royal Medical Hospital. However, he did not agree to say further about the matter.
However, the X-ray plate shows both the bones of his right leg have been broken into two parts.
Shahadat Hossain, the officer in charge of Motihar Police Station said, “Toriqul is free from being under police custody.” However, he refused to create pressure on the deployed policemen.
University proctor Professor Dr Luthfor Rahman said, we are investigating the matter and punitive action will be taken from university authorities.
“University will not take responsibility as he is now outside the campus,” he said in a response of question.”
14 RU teachers from different departments said in the press conference that government is supposed to find a solution to the anarchic situation in the employment sector. They described the arrest and harassment of teachers and guardians as “heinous”.
