The Bangladesh Students’ Rights Council (BSRC), which spearheaded the quota reforms movement in 2018, has decided to launch a political party.
BSRC or Bangladesh Chhatra Adhikar Parishad, along with its youth wing, Jubo Adhikar Parishad, and worker affiliates, Sromik Adhikar Parishad, is going to announce the new party, Gono Adhikar Parishad soon, according to former Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) vice-president (VP) Nurul Haque Nur.
Nur made the announcement on Tuesday at a program. On this day a
year ago, the Bangladesh Chhatra League carried out an attack on him and his associates at his Ducsu office.
To mark the anniversary of the incident, the BSRC brought out a protest procession with black flags from Central Shaheed Minar which paraded through TSC, Shahbagh and ended at Old Paltan intersection.
Keeping the intersection under blockade for an hour, the forum leaders spoke against “the culture of injustice”. The protests caused a severe traffic gridlock at one of the busiest places in the capital.
While addressing the program, Nur said: “The ruling side could not stop us by suing. All the cases against our [main] student wing, youth and worker wings should be withdrawn. Every time we want to hold a peaceful protest, the associate body of goons of the incumbent government, Chhatra League, Jubo League, carry out attacks on us.”
“We are yet to see any ensuring of justice over the attack carried out by the Chhatra League one year ago,” Nur stressed.
“While the European Union (EU) and the US are pressuring the government from many sides now for breaching human rights, the government has stopped giving permission for the holding of rallies and processions,” he remarked.
Nur urged all political parties not to take permission before carrying out any protest procession or doing rallies.
The ex-Ducsu VP said: “If you seek prior permission for your rally or procession from the administration of this autocratic government, then you are acknowledging the law of the autocratic regime by giving them priority, as though you are bowing your heads before them.”
He said and his colleagues wanted to implement the spirit of the Liberation War and establish democracy in this country through the mass-movement of youths.
“In this regard, I am announcing that our new political party Gono Adhikar Parishad, comprising our wings [student, youth, worker and expatriates], will be unveiled soon,” Nur furthered.
While presiding over the protest, acting convener of BSRC Muhammad Rashed Khan, said: “The young generation led by BSRC will be in state power and do justice as well as stop the repression launched by the autocratic Awami League government.”
The forum also cited the murder of Biswajit Das (a 24-year-old tailor in Old Dhaka, who was killed by Chhatra League men in broad daylight in 2012), the Sagar-Runi murder in 2012, where the probe report submission with court in that case has been delayed 76 times and was yet to be submitted, the Sinha murder (retired major Sinha Md Rashed Khan), in the name of gunfight this year.
