Bangladesh News

The teachers of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday cancelled their protest programmes of wearing black badges and hoisting black flags on the campus as all their detained colleagues and students have been released.

This apparently brought normalcy to the campus and classes of different faculties and institutions and examinations were held on schedule.

VC Prof SMA Faiz said a meeting of the deans’ committee would be held tomorrow to discuss the stalled admission tests.

All the four detained teachers and eight students arrested following violence on and around the DU campus last August were released on Tuesday and Wednesday. Five of the freed students are on bail in a case filed in connection with torching an army vehicle. Two cases filed against the DU teachers and students were withdrawn while verdicts were given in two other cases.

The DU teachers and students yesterday reiterated their demand for the withdrawal of all cases at other educational institutions across the country and release of all teachers and students detained in connection with the August violence.

Students under the banner of Students against Repression yesterday held a rally on the campus to press home their demand and accord a reception to the released teachers and students.

Speaking at the rally, the freed teachers and students urged the government to withdraw all the cases filed following the August violence, including the one filed against seven DU students in connection with torching an army car. They also demanded release of all detainees of other educational institutions across the country.

Prof Anwar Hossain urged the government to try the war criminals as it is a demand of the people.

He also asked the government to lift the state of emergency and declare a date for the stalled 9th parliamentary elections as soon as possible.

Prof Sadrul Amin and Prof Harun-or-Rashid also spoke at the rally.

The rally demanded release of Imtiaz Bijon, an HSC student of Western Institute of Business and Technology, who was arrested on August 31 by police in connection with the August violence.

Bijon’s mother Sanjida Alam, his teachers and friends, who were present at the rally, said Bijon had no connection with the August violence. They alleged that Dhanmondi police tortured him in detention.

Meanwhile, Nirjatan Protirodhi Shikkharthi, another platform of students led by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, yesterday urged the government to lift the state of emergency from February 21, the Language Martyrs’ Day, and keep all educational institutions out of the purview of the state of emergency from today.

At a press conference at Madhu’s Canteen on the campus, its leaders urged the government to withdraw the case against seven DU students and allow activities of different students’ unions in universities.