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Download PDF A high level meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday discussed how to find a respectable solution to the crisis at Dhaka University (DU) over the release of its detained teachers and students, sources said.
The advisers for education, home, law and foreign affairs, the army chief, vice-chancellor of the DU and top officials attended the meeting held at the CA’s office.
The meeting took place at a time the agitation by teachers and students of the DU and some other educational institutions for a dignified release of all those detained in connection with the August violence last year is getting momentum.
Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman is likely to disclose to the media tomorrow the government decision in this regard.
Meanwhile, court verdict on the case against four DU teachers and 15 students for violating the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Hearing of arguments in the second case against the same accused for breaching the EPR on the DU campus will be held the same day.
The crisis erupted following the August 20-22 violence on the DU campus and it spread to other public universities.
Sources said yesterday’s meeting also discussed the situation at Rajshahi University, whose 10 students and an employee was convicted in a case for torching a DGFI vehicle in August last.
The ongoing agitation for release of the detained DU teachers and students, and cancellation of all cases in connection with the August violence is apparently spreading out as students of some other institutions also began to demonstrate expressing solidarity with the agitation at the DU.
On return from the meeting at the CA’s office, DU VC Prof SMA Faiz said they discussed all the five cases against the DU teachers and students including two relating to an army car-torching incident at Shahbagh, and the case against Rajshahi University (RU) students with due importance and in a positive attitude.
“The government is showing maximum magnanimity in solving the crisis at Dhaka University and Rajshahi University. We are hoping for a very positive result very soon.”
Replying to a query, Prof Faiz said he is very optimistic that the crisis would be solved this week. All the issues would be resolved when the education adviser speaks to the media, he added in response to another query.
Earlier on January 13, the education adviser told the press that the detainees would be freed in the next couple of days through legal process, whatever the court verdict might be. Before that there were repeated assurances from the government as well as the DU VC about immediate release of the detained DU teachers and students.
Asked about the cases filed against students of Dhaka College and Bangla College at Mirpur for the August violence, Faiz said the meeting did not discuss this, but he would request the education adviser to speak on it when he speak before the media.
On apprehensions that only the teachers, not students, will be released, he said there is no reason for such fears.
STUDENT PROTESTS
Students of the DU under the banner of Students Against Repression yesterday held a cultural programme in front of the central library on the campus demanding immediate release of the detainees by withdrawing all the cases against them.
Besides, students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) formed a human chain on the campus expressing solidarity with the DU students’ agitation.
Another platform of students named “Chhatra-Bandhu” yesterday held a press conference at DU Modhu’s Canteen demanding release of the detainees immediately.
They also announced some programmes including laying a siege to the VC’s office, and expressed support for the teachers’ scheduled token hunger strike tomorrow.
Earler, the DU students on Friday called for a one-hour class boycott at all educational institutions in the country on January 23, and urged the students and teachers to wear black ribbons tomorrow and form human chains at their respective institutions on January 22.
They set a fresh deadline of January 23 for release of the detained DU teachers and a student as their five-day ultimatum ended yesterday. They will also continue boycotting classes for two hours every day until their demands are met.
The DU Teachers’ Association also announced programmes, including a three-hour token hunger strike at Aparajeyo Bangla from 10:00am to 1:00pm tomorrow and, not holding any admission tests at the university until the detainees are released.
Our RU correspondent adds: Students of the university continued their demonstrations on the campus demanding release of 10 convicted students and an employee of the university in the DGFI vehicle torching case.
Earlier, the students staged demonstrations to press their demands that also include release of four Dhaka University teachers and a student.
The students staged a protest sit-in and cultural programme at the Shaheed Minar on the campus wearing black ribbons yesterday.
They threatened to launch a tougher movement including students strike at the RU if their demands are not met.
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