DU Correspondent :
At least six leaders of quota reform movement were injured by the attack of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders and activists on Saturday at the Dhaka University (DU) as they were preparing to hold a press conference.
Quota reform leaders gathered in front of the DU Central Library around 11:00 am yesterday for a press conference that had been announced earlier.
Bangladesh General Students Rights Protection Council Convener Hasan Al Mamun and Joint Conveners Farooq Hassan and Nurul Haque Nur along with some protestors were present. The protesters claim a group of BCL leaders and activists attacked them before their conference began.
Mamun and Farooq managed to leave the scene but Nur was thrown to the ground and beaten intensely.
He was admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) in a critical condition.
Another protest leader, Arosh of World Religion and Culture Department, was beaten after he left the library around 12pm. He was thrown to the ground and kicked repeatedly. He was also admitted to DMCH.
Some BCL activists tried to enter the library where some protesters took shelter there, but Library Director Professor SM Zabed Ahmed did not allow them to enter the library. Later, the BCL men drove out the quota reform demonstrators from the area and took position at the library premises.
After the hour-long attack at DU Central Library, the BCL men went to the Public Library and beat another quota reform leader Jashim Uddin Aksh. He was handed over to Shahbagh Police Station. “We were preparing to hold a press conference around 10:45am when several hundred BCL activists attacked Nur, Farooq and me,” said Hasan Al Mamun.
BCL General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain denied the accusation that his organisation was involved in the attack at a media conference around 3:30pm.
“The quota protesters have continued their demonstrations, even after assurances from the Prime Minister. The issue is being handled at the highest levels of government since the Prime Minister’s announcement,” he said.
Meanwhile, the protestors called students’ strike for indefinite period from today (Sunday) at all universities and colleges across the country protesting against the attack on their leaders at DU on Saturday.
Students and job seekers have been protesting for several months, calling for reforms to the quota system for public sector jobs. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced the abolition of the quota system. The protesters have vowed to continue their demonstrations until the government issues an official notice on the matter.
