Rayhanul Islam :
The situation in Dhaka University was calm yesterday after a day of rallies and counter rallies by quota reformist and pro-government activists attempting to silence the movement.
But the aftermath of Thursday’s agitation in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagor universities got viral in social media as the horrors of attack on a female student in Dhaka University campus drew flank from guardians and other socio-cultural groups.
A group of guardians and citizens under the banner of `Udbigno Obhibhabok O Nagorik’on Friday held a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club demanding judicial probe into the recent wave of attacks on quota reformists across the country.
They also demanded exemplary punishment of those behind physical assaults on teachers and guardians by uniform men at a rally at Jatiya Press Club. They also called for immediate release of the jailed student leaders and withdrawal of false cases against them.
Specially the beating of a quota reformist leader at Shaheed Minar on Monday as Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists kicked and bounced him to the ground drew sharp criticism. Student leaders condemned
the role of the Dhaka University administration demanding safety of students in the campus and judicial probe into the incidents.
Meanwhile, assault on a female student who attempted to save a reformist leader from being brutally beaten by BCL activists further added tension to the quota reform movement.
People angrily reacted on the social media reports that showed several BCL activists attacked her as she was leaving the Shaheed Minar by a CNG auto-rickshaw.
At one stage some of them made forced entry in the vehicle and physically assaulted her all the way to the Shahbagh Police Station.
Mariam Mannan Farah, a first year honours student of Political Science Department of Tejgaon College, on Thursday narrated her experiences at a press briefing on the premises of Rokeya Hall on Dhaka University campus yesterday noon.
She narrated her ordeal in the hands of the BCL leaders and later in the police custody. Meanwhile a joint convener of quota movement of Rajshahi University unit Tariqul Islam has been forced out of the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Wednesday where he was undergoing treatment with his broken legs following physical assault by BCL activists.
Reports said police handed over the hospital release letter as relatives of the victim did not agree to leave the hospital before scheduled operations in his legs. Earlier another quota movement leader Nurul Haque Nur was under pressure to leave Anwer Khan Medical Hospital where he was taking treatment.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University Professor Abdus Sobhan on Friday however denounced the quota reform movement as anti-government agitation fuelled vested political quarter.
He said actually the quota movement has a disguised political motive to sabotage the government. He shared his view with reporters while attending the 65th founding anniversary programme of the varsity on the campus.
He dubbed the students agitating for quota reform as “left-leaning Shibir students” who are trying to create trouble for the government.
Concerned guardians at Jatiya Press Club: Speakers in the event 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 movement.”
Nuru, 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 he 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 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.
The situation in Dhaka University was calm yesterday after a day of rallies and counter rallies by quota reformist and pro-government activists attempting to silence the movement.
But the aftermath of Thursday’s agitation in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagor universities got viral in social media as the horrors of attack on a female student in Dhaka University campus drew flank from guardians and other socio-cultural groups.
A group of guardians and citizens under the banner of `Udbigno Obhibhabok O Nagorik’on Friday held a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club demanding judicial probe into the recent wave of attacks on quota reformists across the country.
They also demanded exemplary punishment of those behind physical assaults on teachers and guardians by uniform men at a rally at Jatiya Press Club. They also called for immediate release of the jailed student leaders and withdrawal of false cases against them.
Specially the beating of a quota reformist leader at Shaheed Minar on Monday as Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists kicked and bounced him to the ground drew sharp criticism. Student leaders condemned
the role of the Dhaka University administration demanding safety of students in the campus and judicial probe into the incidents.
Meanwhile, assault on a female student who attempted to save a reformist leader from being brutally beaten by BCL activists further added tension to the quota reform movement.
People angrily reacted on the social media reports that showed several BCL activists attacked her as she was leaving the Shaheed Minar by a CNG auto-rickshaw.
At one stage some of them made forced entry in the vehicle and physically assaulted her all the way to the Shahbagh Police Station.
Mariam Mannan Farah, a first year honours student of Political Science Department of Tejgaon College, on Thursday narrated her experiences at a press briefing on the premises of Rokeya Hall on Dhaka University campus yesterday noon.
She narrated her ordeal in the hands of the BCL leaders and later in the police custody. Meanwhile a joint convener of quota movement of Rajshahi University unit Tariqul Islam has been forced out of the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Wednesday where he was undergoing treatment with his broken legs following physical assault by BCL activists.
Reports said police handed over the hospital release letter as relatives of the victim did not agree to leave the hospital before scheduled operations in his legs. Earlier another quota movement leader Nurul Haque Nur was under pressure to leave Anwer Khan Medical Hospital where he was taking treatment.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University Professor Abdus Sobhan on Friday however denounced the quota reform movement as anti-government agitation fuelled vested political quarter.
He said actually the quota movement has a disguised political motive to sabotage the government. He shared his view with reporters while attending the 65th founding anniversary programme of the varsity on the campus.
He dubbed the students agitating for quota reform as “left-leaning Shibir students” who are trying to create trouble for the government.
Concerned guardians at Jatiya Press Club: Speakers in the event 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 movement.”
Nuru, 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 he 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 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.
