Nagorik Samaj to bring out long march from Dhaka to SUST Wednesday
Bibekban Nagorik Samaj, a platform of civil society members, has brought out a long march programme on Wednesday from Dhaka to Sylhet to support the demonstrating students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), reports UNB.
The civil society members came up with the announcement through a press release on Tuesday.
According to the press release, "Many students are observing hunger strike demanding the resignation of SUST VC and already many of them fell sick. They are now undergoing treatment at hospitals. Nobody on behalf of the government, education minister and the authorities concerned has come forward to meet their demand."
"In such a situation, the students are now in the juncture of life and death and it can't continue. We should stand beside them. If the VC does not step down then a long march programme from Dhaka to Sylhet will be launched from 10:30am on Wednesday from the National Press Club of Dhaka," it said.
People from all walks of life including students, teachers, physicians, journalists, lawyers, businessmen, sportsmen and others were requested to join the long march to make the programme successful.
Prominent photographer Shahidul Alam, eminent writer and columnist professor Rahnuma Ahmed, advocate Jyotirmoy Barua, writer Rakhal Raha and journalist Ehsan Mahmud, among others, signed the press release.
Meanwhile, a team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday detained five former students of SUST on charge of sending money to the protesting students at the university.
Earlier, the free medical support which was being provided by a team of Osmani Medical College Hospital unit Chhatra League for the protesting students of SUST has been withdrawn citing the Covid risk.
According to some students, the mobile phone numbers of some of the protesters -- those are on hunger strike -- have also been deactivated.
The students started their hunger strike on the university campus on 19 January demanding the resignation of SUST VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.
Most of the 27 students on hunger strike are suffering from low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels and convulsions, and the sudden withdrawal of the medical support could pose serious risks to their health, said some students quoting a senior hospital doctor.
However, a doctor arrived at the protest site on his own later in the morning to offer medical support to the students. The students also expressed their displeasure over the suspension of mobile phone services of a few protesters.
"When we contacted the customer care centres of our mobile operators, we were told to get in touch with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)," said Ariful Islam, one of the protesting students.