Trackback URL
Download PDF Students of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday vowed to continue their demonstration until the release of all the students detained in connection with the August violence.
Meanwhile, to press the demand for the immediate release of all detained students, DU teachers including the four who were freed yesterday announced to hold a solidarity rally on the campus at 11:00am today.
The repression and humiliation unleashed on the detainees by law enforcement agencies during and after the August violence would also be revealed during the rally, they said.
The demonstrating students decided to join the solidarity rally of teachers and urged all to boycott classes and examinations scheduled for today.
The DU students continued their demonstration over the verdict against three teachers all day yesterday. In the evening they thronged the Central Shaheed Minar to cheer for the freed teachers.
A large number of students, teachers and families of the detained teachers and students with flowers and garlands in their hands gathered at the entrance of the Dhaka Central Jail to receive the freed teachers and students who were pardoned by the president.
Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, former president of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (Duta), said five of the detained students were to be released with the teachers, but the jail authorities said they would be feed a few hours later due to legal complications.
The four teachers went home after placing floral wreaths at the Shaheed Minar and delivering short speeches.
The crowd of students were still waiting at the Shaheed Minar as the authorities assured that five out of the eight detained DU students would be released within the next one hour.
However, they were not freed till filing of this report at 9:00pm yesterday. The disappointed students brought out a procession from the Shaheed Minar and marched the campus streets chanting slogans against the government and the university authorities.
Earlier, the DU students held rallies and brought out processions on the campus protesting the “farcical” verdict that sentenced three of the four detained teachers with two years’ imprisonment and Tk 1,000 fine each. The other accused of the case, one teacher and 15 students, were acquitted.
Students under three different platforms — Students Against Repression, led by left-leaning student organisations, Chhatra-Bondhu, led by Bangladesh Chhatra League and Nirjatan Protirodhi Shikkharthi, led by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal — took part in separate processions on the campus. They all chanted anti-government slogans.
In separate rallies at the Aparajeyo Bangla, the students said although the government pledged that it would ensure a dignified release of the teachers and students, it breached its pledge through the conviction of the detainees.
A number of teachers including Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, former president of Duta, its former general secretary Prof M Akhtaruzzaman and Prof Muhammad Samad joined a rally of a student platform to express their solidarity with the students’ movement.
Prof Arefin Siddique said it would have been dignified for both the teachers and the government if the teachers were freed after the cases filed against them were withdrawn.
In a press briefing, the acting president and general secretary of Duta, who belong to pro-BNP-Jamaat White Panel of teachers at DU, said they were disappointed and hurt at the conviction of the teachers and students.
The White Panel teachers were against holding any kind of demonstration for the release of the teachers.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply