Students set 24hr ultimatum to arrest killers of two private university students
A group of students today demonstrated in the city's Rampura area seeking justice for murder of two students of East West University and American International University Bangladesh.
The demonstrators set the government an ultimatum of 24 hours to the killers of the two students and warned of waging tougher movement if the killers are not arrested by stipulated time.
The demonstrators held the protest under the banner of ‘Sammilito Private University Students’ at Rampura bridge in the city after 4:00pm today. The protest programme ended around 5:45pm.
Speakers at the protest rally said that if the killers are not brought to justice within 24 hours, they will take to streets with stricter programmes. Those involved in the student-led July protest are being assassinated.
The rally also demanded the government form a probe committee to investigate the murders. The committee will have to submit a report within the next seven days.
After the protest rally, students brought out a torch procession in front of East West University that paraded through different city streets and ended at the same place at 6:40pm.
Miscreants hacked EWU student Tazbir Hossain Shihan at Gazipur’s Kaliakair in the morning of 12 December. Mohammad Simanta, a student of AIUB was stabbed by muggers in Narayanganj on the same day. Simanta succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on 14 December.
Alongside seeking justice for murder of two students, the protesters also sought safety of students of private universities and students who participated in the July-August movement across the country.
EWU student Nazifa Jannat said that there is no security for students across the country. The students are facing threats of abduction in different places. The law enforcement agencies have not yet been able to ensure the safety of the students.
Gono Bishwabidyalay’s student Asad Bin Rony said students-mass people are the legitimacy of the current interim government. The government will lose its credibility if it fails to ensure the security of students.
South East University’s student Jaber Bin Noor alleged many students are receiving death threats in different ways.
Government Science College student Pritam Kumar alleged that the students are being subject to target killing.
Hasan Sheikh, father of Zillur Sheikh who was killed during student-led uprising, also addressed the protest rally.
He said the aspirations for which his son, a student of Imperial College, laid his life are yet to be fulfilled. The students are still being killed and corruption is yet to stop.
Hasan Sheikh sought prompt action from the government to stop the killing of students and fair trial for the incidents that had already taken place.