Staff Reporter :
Teachers and students of the country’s public universities on Monday demanded exemplary punishment of the culprits who stabbed noted writer and Professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Professor Dr Muhammed Zarar Iqbal.
They also demanded security of the universities’ teachers and students to avert any further attack by the evil forces.
Dhaka University Teachers Association (DUTA) formed a human chain in front of the Aparajeyo Bangla on the Dhaka University campus around 12:30pm protesting the attack on eminent educationist and popular writer Dr Zafar Iqbal.
“Professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal has a good reputation all over the country for his excellent writings and as a student-friendly teacher. He is one of the top intellectuals in the country also. It was not an attack on him, it was on whole teachers as well as nation,” said DUTA President Professor Maksud Kamal.
“Please nab all the culprits and bring them under trial. We want exemplary punishment to the culprits,” he said.
At Rajshahi University (RU), a section of the university’s pro-Awami League teachers formed a human chain under the banner of “Progressive Teachers Society” in front of the university’s Senate Bhaban around 11:00am.
Teachers of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) observed a sit-in from 11:00am to 1:00pm on Monday to protest an attack on their colleague Professor Zafar Iqbal.
Teachers from different departments began to congregate in front of the administration building for a sit-in programme. Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed and Treasurer Elias Uddin Biswas also joined the protesters.
During the sit-in, the VC said whatever happened was a heinous crime and teachers and students should come forward to ensure security on the campus.
“We have formed an investigation committee on the issue and instructed them to file a report soon,” he said, adding: “Although the government will look into the legal side, the university administration will take care of the internal issues.”
Syed Hasanuzzaman, President of Teachers’ Association, said it was a planned attack against the spirit of liberation war and the free-thinking people. “We urge the government to find out the masterminds and take them to task.”
A silent procession was also brought out by teachers and students of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, and Software Engineering Department.
Faisal Ahmed, a student of CSE Department, said the three departments will bring out silent processions for next three days. Also, they will pray for Prof. Iqbal’s quick recovery through lighting candles at Shaheed Minar on Tuesday.
Islamic University Teachers’ Association (IUTA) on Monday formed a human-chain on the campus in Kushtia protesting the attack on eminent writer Professor Mohammad Zafar Iqbal.
At least three hundred teachers of different departments joined the human-chain in front of the university’s arts faculty building.
Speakers at the human-chain demanded exemplary punishment of the attackers so that no one can commit such heinous act in future.
Such kind of crimes would happen consecutively if the culprits were not punished, the speakers added.
IU Vice-Chancellor Professor M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor M Shahinoor Rahman, Treasurer Professor M Selim Toha and IUTA President Professor Mizanur Rahman, among others, spoke at the human chain.
Chittagong University Journalists’ Association (CUJA) formed a human chain and demanded exemplary punishment of the perpetrators involved in the attack.
Professor Zafar Iqbal, a faculty member of Computer Science and Engineering Department at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), came under a knife attack on the campus by a youth on Saturday. He is now doing well at the Dhaka CMH.
The attacker youth was caught red-handed after the attack.
