Rayhanul Islam Abir :
A section of Dhaka University students, protesting against illegal enrolment of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) members, came under attack on the campus on Wednesday noon.
The students were staging protest under the banner “DU against Corruption,” also demanded resignation of the university’s vice-chancellor and Business Faculty dean for allegedly giving preferential treatment to BCL leaders, who were admitted to the Masters of Tax Management (MTM) course under the banking and insurance department.
Asif Mahmud, a second year student of Linguistics department and also an activist of quota reformation platform Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, was injured during the attack.
He was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) with injuries on his left eye.
Shrobona Shafique Dipti, an activist under the same platform, accused Chhatra League of attacking them.
She said that BCL activists, under the banner of general students, carried out the attack during our pre scheduled protest programme.
A video of the attack later spread on social media platform. After scrutinizing the video, it was found that most of the attackers were the follower of DUCSU Assistant General Secretary and BCL DU chapter General Secretary Saddam Hossain. While contacted over the phone, Saddam denied the allegations and claimed that BCL had no connection to this incident. This is an unwanted incident that happened between two groups of students. “I have no supporters in the university.”
After the attack, the protesters went to the proctor’s office to notify him about the attack.
They also brought out a procession and paraded towards Business Faculty around 1:40pm as they were unable to speak to the proctor.
Later, the protesters again gathered in front of the office of Business Faculty dean, demanding exemplary punishment of the attackers.
Left-leaning student wings and Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President (VP) Nurul Haque Nur expressed solidarity with the protesting students.
Nur said, “BCL carried out the attack on general students as they made some logical demands.”
He demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers.
Regarding the untoward event, DU Proctor Prof Golam Rabbani told The New Nation that the members of proctorial body went to the spot and tame the situation.
“We expect responsible role from all the students so that the atmosphere of the varsity remain congenial,” he added.
Several Dhaka University (DU) students have been protesting against the illegal enrolment of 34 former and incumbent BCL leaders into a specific department of the Business Faculty.
According to media reports, former and current leaders of the ruling party’s student front enrolled in the MTM course to continue their studentship after announcement of the DUCSU and Hall Union polls schedule on February 11 this year. However, the admission test for the course was held on November 30, 2018. Of them, seven were holding various DUCSU posts.
