Staff Reporter :The family members of Brac University Professor Piash Karim could not bring his body to the Central Shaheed Minar as the Dhaka University (DU) authorities did not issue any permission due to severe protest by some social and student organizations. Amena Mohsin, Professor of International Relations Department of DU, sought permission from the DU authorities on Tuesday for allowing his relatives and well-wishers to bring Piash’s body to Shaheed Minar to pay homage.DU Acting Proctor Amzad Ali told The New Nation on Wednesday that an organization, namely Muktijoddha Sangshad Santan Command, had earlier sought permission for programmes at the Shaheed Minar on Thursday and Friday. The DU authorities have already granted permission to them, he said.”Before getting our permission, Piash’s family informed the media that the body will be brought to Shaheed Minar,” he said. “If the body will taken to the Shaheed Minar without the DU’s permission, we will inform the law enforcing agencies,” the DU Proctor further said.Meanwhile, Chhatra Songram Parishad, a platform of some student organisations, yesterday announced to prevent all attempts of Piash’s family members to bring the body to the Shaheed Minar premises. The parishad leaders also declared that they would stay at the Shaheed Minar premises till 9am on Friday. “Piash’s father was a war criminal. His father had played important role against the Bangladeshi people and freedom fighters during the Liberation War in 1971. Piash distorted the history of Liberation War,” Shamsul Islam Sumon, President of JSD Inu backed Bangladesh Chhatra League, said. “Piash also talked against the Ganajagaran Mancha and Shahbagh movement. He was a collaborator of the war criminals. So we cannot stay idle not protesting the attempts of the anti-liberation people,” Sumon added. Different social and student organizations yesterday staged demonstration at the Shaheed Minar premises and chanted slogans against Piash. Some students of Fine Arts Faculty of DU also painted images of ‘Razakars’– the local collaborators of the Pakistani occupation forces during Liberation War — on the raoads adjacent to the Shaheed Minar. Several banners were seen hanging where the protesters wrote – ‘The sacred Shaheed Minar will not bear the body of Razakar’s son Piash Karim.’A number of law enforcing agencies were deployed in and around the Shaheed Minar area to avert any untoward incident.Lotus Karim, brother of Piash, said, “Our plan is to take his body to the Dhanmondi residence from the hospital on Friday. Then it will be taken to the Baitul Mokaaram Mosque for the Janaza before burial at Banani graveyard.”Piash Karim, a BRAC University teacher at Department of Economics and Social Science died of cardiac arrest in the small hours of Monday.Hailing from Comilla, he came into limelight for his participation in the television talk shows.Karim faced widespread criticism for undermining the Shahbagh ganajagaran mancha. He was also widely criticised for his controversial remarks over the trial processes of the International Crimes Tribunal.
