Joynal Abedin Khan :
Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU) has called strikes at all educational institutes, including schools, colleges and universities, for today (Tuesday) in protest against brutal police assault on the agitating students in front of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner office in the city.
Apart from the strike, the organisation announced a rally at Dhaka University’s Raju Sculpture and demonstration across the country on Monday afternoon.
The student organization announced the strike programme at a press conference at Modhur Canteen of Dhaka University on Sunday afternoon.
The announcement came after at least 30 students, including Chhatra Union president Hasan Tarique and General Secretary Lucki Aktar, were injured after police charged batons on a procession marching towards the office of DMP Commissioner on Sunday afternoon protesting the sexual attack on women during the celebration of Pohela Boishakh at Dhaka University campus on April 14.
The DMP on Monday suspended constable Anis for his alleged involvement in brutality on women activists in front of DMP Headquarter.
The Dhaka city police also formed a three-member probe body to unearth the facts behind the incident, said DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia. The DMP Joint-Commissioner (Logistic) Y M Belalur Rahman was made as the the head of the investigation body.
The probe body has been asked to submit the report by the next seven days.
Meanwhile, a writ was moved with the High Court on Monday challenging the legality of police brutality on women activists protesting the sexual assault on women at Shurawardy Uddyan near Teachers-Student Center (TSC) of Dhaka University.
The petition sought the court’s order on the government for necessary step on the policemen responsible for the assault on the women activists on Sunday.
Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akond moved the petition with the High Court and prayed that the National Human Rights Commission be ordered to investigate the incident – on whether human rights were violated. He said that the court may hear the petition today.
In the meantime, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman on Monday condemned the police brutality on the Chhatra Union protesting program over sexually assault on women during Pahela Baishakh celebrations.
He claimed the exemplary punishment of the police members who attacked the protesters. The TIB chief requested the government to form a judicial probe body to investigate the incident,
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) condemned the police brutality on the Chhatra Union protesters on Sunday.
BNP International Affairs Secretary Dr Asaduzzaman Khan Ripon expressed his condemnation on behalf of the party at a press conference at central party office at Naya Paltan on Monday afternoon.
Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal and Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree condemned the brutality police.
They alleged that police have sided with the harassers by attacking the demonstrators instead of arresting the molesters.
Bangladesh Nagorik Oiyko condemned the police brutality on the protesters while they were trying to go towards the DMP Headquarters, said a press release signed by party executive member Atiqur Rahman. It also demanded to form a judicial probe body in this regard.
“Police attacked us brutally following the order from the DMP commissioner,” the organisation’s President Hasan Tarek said.
“The attack made it clear that police and the Dhaka University administration have sided with the sexual harassers,” he said.
Lucky Akter, general secretary of Chhatra Union, said: “Over the last 26 days, we have been staging peaceful protest programmes against the assault on women on Bangla New Year’s day … In these 26 days, the police administration has not been able to make the least of progress in arresting the culprits. On top of that, they clarified their stance in favour of the attackers by questioning the authenticity of the incident.
“Today’s (Sunday) siege program was part of a series of peaceful protest programmes to press home a set of six specific demands. Police personnel, obeying orders from the DMP commissioner, lodged a brutal attack on our programme.
Women activists at scene were mercilessly assaulted – with boots and batons. Videos of the brutal act drew widespread condemnation on the social media, sources said.
A policeman attempts to kick a female demonstrator as she fell on the ground after being cornered by cops who turn violent during a program to lay siege to the headquarters of DMP. She is not spared the cops’ brutality even after being knocked to the ground.
On April 14, a group of rowdy youths sexually assaulted women at Dhaka University during Bangla new year celebrations under the nose of law enforcers – that too for over an hour.
