DU Correspondent :
The Pragatisheel Chhatra Jote (Progressive Students’ Alliance), a platform of left-leaning students’ organisations, have called a strike at all educational institutions across the country on January 29 to press home their four-point demand.
Earlier to this, they will hold a solidarity rally at the altar of the Raju Sculpture on Dhaka University (DU) campus on January 26, while a nation-wide demonstration will be staged on January 28.
The platform’s coordinator Imran Habib Rummon announced at a press conference at the Madhu’s Canteen of the University on Wednesday.
The demands include immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men who had attacked agitating students on Tuesday and on January 15, withdrawal of cases against the general students, bearing the medical expenses of the wounded students and holding of DUCSU elections.
At least 30 protesters were injured as BCL men beat them at the DU vice-chancellor’s office on Tuesday.
Imran Habib at the press conference also demanded forming a judicial inquiry committee to look into the incident.
“The High Court has ordered the DU authorities to hold DUCSU elections (Dhaka University Central Students Union) within six months. We fear a plot is being hatched to foil the DUCSU elections,” Imran Habib said.
Leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Chhatra Oikya Forum, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist), Bangladesh Students’ Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitree were present at the press conference.
DU students started to demonstrate on January 11 demanding implementation of their four-point demands, including scrapping of affiliation of seven colleges with Dhaka University.
Earlier, around 1000 students of Dhaka University formed a human chain on Wednesday morning under the banner titled ” Sacatan Sikkharti” at the altar of Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture against the attack on Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the varsity on Tuesday.
After that they paraded different roads of the campus and took position in front of Vice Chancellor office demanding punishment of left-leaning students who confined and assaulted the VC.
BCL leaders expressed their solidarity at the rally and demanded legal action and fired from the varsity of the guilty protesters who attacked on VC and broke three collapsible gate of register building within 24 hours.
BCL central President Saifur Rahman Sohag, General Secretary Jakir Hossain, DU chapter President Abid Al Hasan, General Secretary Motaher Hossen Prince spoke at the rally among other.
They said, DU authority will have to fire the guilty protesters who were involved in attacking the VC, vandalized the three collapsible gates, molested the female BCL activists and tried to create unstable situation on the campus. “BCL will always stand beside the general students and tackle the miscreants,” they said.
Meanwhile, BCL along with the general students will hold a rally today at the altar of Aparajeo Bangla at 11:00 am. From there they will announce their next programmes, and after that they will march towards the VC office and hand over a memorandum to the VC to press home their demands, BCL DU chapter President Abid Al Hasan told The New Nation.
On Tuesday, at least 30 students were injured as BCL leaders and activists beat the protesters who besieged the Vice Chancellor at his office for four hours to press home their four-point demand.
