Dhaka, July 17 (Just News): Students and teachers of different public universities on Tuesday continued protests demanding punishment of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists who unleashed attacks on quota reform protesters, including teachers at Dhaka University on Sunday.
At Dhaka University, protesters under the banner of ‘Students against Repression’, ‘Teachers against Repression’, Bangladesh
Chhatra Union and physics department students held four programmes demanding punishment of those involved in the recent attacks on teachers and students.
Several departments of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University also boycotted classes and exams demanding release of all quota reform movement leaders from jail and logical reform of quota system in government jobs.
BCL activists on Sunday pushed and verbally abused mass communication and journalism department professor Fahmidul Haq, associate professor Abdur Razzaque Khan, international relations associate professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, economics assistant professor Rushad Faridi when they were going to take part in a post-human chain procession at Central Shaheed Minar in the capital.
Students against Repression, a platform of general students of Dhaka University, submitted a memorandum to vice-chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman in his office around 1:30pm.
The platform identified fourteen Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists involved in recent attacks on teachers and students and demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.
They also demanded resignation of the university’s proctor AKM Golam Rabbani for his ‘failure’ to take steps to punish the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation and a stable and peaceful environment in the university.
Abu Raihan, a 3rd year student of the department of mass communication and journalism, submitted the memorandum on behalf of the students.
In response, the vice-chancellor said the memorandum would be sent to the probe committee and the committee would make decision over it.
Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani was present with him at the time a team of representatives from the platform called on the VC.
Besides, a group of teachers under the banner of ‘Teachers against Repression’ also demanded punishment of those involved in the recent attacks on teachers and students.
They made the demand at a press conference held at the Teacher-Student Centre of the university.
Reading out the written statement, sociology department teacher Samina Luthfa said that law enforcers and ruling party-backed Chhatra League activists carried out violent attacks on quota protesters and when the teachers stood by the oppressed students, they were also assaulted.
Ventilating anger over university administration’s inaction over the attacks, Samina Luthfa further said that the university authorities did not yet take any single steps against the attackers rather they blamed teachers for inciting the protest, which she termed unfortunate and irresponsible.
She further said that no one was safe on the campus and now teachers were also feeling insecure.
They announced that they would hold a solidarity rally of teachers at Aparajeya Bangla around 11:00am on July 19 and a cultural programme against repression at Battala in front of arts faculty of the university on July 23.
Professor Fahmidul Haq and Associate Professor Abdur Razzaque Khan of mass communication and journalism department, Associate Professor Tanjimuddin Khan and Professor Abdul Mannan of international relations department and Professor Munasir Kamal of English department were present there.
Meanwhile, physics department students of the university formed a human chain near Curzon Hall of the university protesting at the attacks on students and teachers and demanding safe campus.
Left student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra Union also brought out a protest rally on the campus demanding punishment of Chhatra League activists and resignation of the proctor for his failure to take action against the attackers.
Meanwhile, Dhaka University proctor Golam Rabbani claimed that he received a death threat over mobile phone on Tuesday noon.
A general diary was filed with Shahbagh Police Station over this, said Golam Rabbani.
New Age JU correspondent reports that teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University on Tuesday demand the punishment of five BCL activists who allegedly threatened to rape a female quota protester of the University.
Around 200 teachers and students of the university under the banner of ‘government and politics department family’ formed a human chain in front of the Amar Ekushey of the university around 11:00am.
Addressing the rally, Professor KM Mohiuddin of the department said, ‘This is very sad that the students of our university have threatened to rape female students.’
He demanded immediate punishment of the BCL activists who gave the threat on social media.
Earlier, on Monday, a group of students under the banner of ‘Nipiraner Biruddhe Jahangirnagar’ held a protest rally on the campus on the same demand.
On Sunday, a female organiser of quota reform movement of the university filed a ‘sexual harassment allegation’ with proctor office saying that five Chhatra League activists threatened to ‘rape’ her.
The accused BCL leader are university unit vice-president Hamza Rahman and activists Ishqat Harun Aqib of Bangla, Jahid Hasan Imon of Institution of Information Technology, Masud Rana of microbiology and Rony Bhoumik.
When contracted, JU proctor Sikder Zulkarnain said, ‘We have forwarded the complaint to the anti-sexual harassment cell and they will look into it.’
(Justnews/ys/2320hr)
