BCL attack on quota reform campaigners shameful: SIC
Educationist Serajul Islam Chowdhury on Sunday termed the attack on quota reform campaigners shameful and unbelievable and said what happened to them is a matter of great regret.
Addressing a protest programme, the Dhaka University professor emeritus said such incidents didn’t happen even during Pakistani and British regimes.
Teachers of various universities under the banner of ‘Teachers Against Repression’ brought out a procession from in front of the central library of the Dhaka University.
The procession, organised in protest against the attack on quota reformists by the ruling party’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), marched until the Central Shaheed Minar.
Speaking at a brief rally at the Shaheed Minar, Serajul Islam Chowdhury said, “Quota reform movement is justified and logical and that’s why boys, girls, teachers and guardians - all have extended their support. Some 56 per cent quota is illogical.
“The government has been forced to form a committee just because of this movement. But brutal attacks have been made on the quota protesters. I have never seen such an inhuman attack with a hammer.
“The people have no security. Cases have been filed against those waging the movement. This is not jusitified. I protest and demand immediate implementation of quota reforms,” said Serajul Islam Chowdhury.
Moderated by Dhaka University International Relations associate professor Tanzim Uddin Khan, the protest rally was addressed, among others, by DU professor of the Mass Communications and Journalism department Geetiara Nasreen, DU’s former professor of International professor Akmal Hossain, DU Law department professor Asif Nazrul, English department teacher Tasneem Siraj Mahbub and Development Studies department professor Kazi Maruful Islam.
Asif Nazrul said, “Students have been assaulted with hammer and female students have been harassed for waging the movement. They were denied treatment. False cases have been filed against them. They have been stigmatised with various accusations.”
Demanding withdrawal of all “false cases” against the quota reformists and maximum punishment for those who assaulted students with a hammer, he said, “Blocking the path of protests is anti-democratic and against the spirit of our liberation.”
Akmal Hossain said, “The students movement is being labelled as a movement of the anti-liberation forces. It is being said BNP and Jamaat are involved. This is happening whenever any demand is raised. Bangladesh is run by a fascist system.”
The former DU professor came down hard on the authorities for forcing out injured quota reform campaigners from government hospitals and said, “The way students have been denied reatment, reflects the state of our democracy.”