DU Correspondent :
Ruling party student activists attacked quota reformist students in a spate of fresh attacks at Jagannath University and Chattogram University yesterday noon as left leaning student organizations held demonstrations for abolition of quota in the government jobs.
Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University teachers and other public university teachers yesterday condemned the attack on quota reformist at a gathering saying it rivals the colonial past.
Prof Emeritus Sirajul Islam Chowdhury at the protest gathering at Central Shaeed Minar said, “This did not happen even during the Pakistan or British period, the incidents that had happened are “unfortunate, shameful and unbelievable,” he said condemning the attack by the Ruling party activists on the general students fighting for a right cause to protect interest of their career. He demanded judicial probe into the incidents.
BCL men yesterday targeted newsmen at Chattogram and Jagannath Universities as they were covering attacks on the demonstrating students causing a chaotic situation in both the campuses. Several journalists were injured, some of them severely. Two of them were immediately taken to the National Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile situation was tense in other public university campuses including Dhaka, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagor Universities yesterday as the general students were mainly watching the situation waiting for government gazette on abolition of quota system.
Teachers of the Dhaka and Jahangirnagor Universities yesterday gathered at the Dhaka University Library and marched to the Central Shaheed Minar to condemn the assaults on students and teachers. They also condemned expulsion of injured students from several hospitals where they were receiving treatment with severe wounds from BCL men beating.
Prof Sirajul Islam Chowedhury said, “The quota-reform movement is fair and logical. For this, boys, girls, guardians and teachers have all extended their support to the quota-reform movement.” The government instead of provoking the party activists should pay heed to their demands. “The country belongs to all, not certain section of people,” he said.
He said it was double standard, the government has been compelled to form a committee to review the quota problem but party activists are brutally attacking the protesters under police cover to silence them. “I have never seen such brutal attack with a hammer on a student as he was laying to the ground.” Many students have there legs and backs broken and being denied treatment facilities. This is not acceptable in a civilized society, he said.
“Given the current situation, there is no security of people and students in the campuses. Cases are being filed against those who are protesting. With today’s protest, I press my demand for quota reform,” Sirajul Islam said.
Under the banner of ‘Anti-Repression teachers’ around 40 teachers from Dhaka, Jahangirnagar and Jagannath University participated in the event.
Bitterly denouncing BCL attack, they demanded immediate punishment to those carried out such criminal attacks on the protesting students.
Speakers said on this occasion that, ” the fundamental rights of citizen is to protest any injustice and people who slay this basic human rights are opponents to freedom fighters”.
Professor of Law Department Asif Nazrul, Professor Tasmin Siraj of English Department, Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism Department Gite Ara Nasreen, Associated Professor of International Relations Department Tanjim Uddin Khan and Visiting Professor of Private Varsity Ulab Asfar Hossain also spoke on this assembly.
Prof. Asif Nazrul said ” I have come here to protest as our innocent students have been injured, arrested, driven out from Hospitals, and hiding in unidentified places just because of waging a legitimate movement”.
He particularly condemned beating reformists with hammer, sexual assault and hurling abusive language to female students, denial of treatment to injured students, filing false cases and spread of slander against them.
Criticizing the varsity administration, Professor Tanjem Uddin Khan said ” a mindless authority is watching the situation as students were being made victims and beaten by ruling party goons.”
Professor Gite Ara Nasreen pressed for four-point demands including withdraw of false cases filed against students, Justice of attackers, immediate medical treatment of victims and publish notification gazette of quota revision.
Meanwhile, Banking and Insurance Department of DU formed a human chain demanding unconditional release of Rashed Khan, a student of the department and a joint Convener of Bangladesh General Students Rights Protection Forum. He has been picked up from the city on Monday last.
Around hundreds of students took part in the human chain in front of Faculty of Business Studies on DU campus.
They also demanded immediate release of arrestees held in custody in different cases.
A group of left leaning students under the banner of “Progotisheel Chhatra Jote” brought out a procession on the DU campus yesterday protesting brutalities on general students allegedly by Chhatra League activists across the country.
They also condemned the arrest of quota reformist leaders in different cases and demanded their release. The students later met DU VC Professor Akhtaruzzaman and submitted a Memorandum on their demands.
