'Strike at all edn institutions 29 Jan'

The Pragatisheel Chhatra Jote (Progressive Students' Alliance), a platform of left leaning students' organisations, have called a strike at all educational institutions across the country on 29 January to press home their four-point demand.

Prior to this, they will hold a solidarity rally in front of the Raju Sculpture on Dhaka University campus on 26 January while a nation-wide demonstration will be staged on 28 January, the platform's coordinator Imran Habib announced at a press conference at the Madhu's Canteen of the Dhaka University on Wednesday.

The demands include immediate arrest and examplary punishment to Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men who had attacked agitating students on Tuesday and on 15 January, withdrawal of false cases against the general students, bearing the medical expenses of the wounded students and holding of DUCSU elections.

At least 40 students of Dhaka University were injured as BCL men beat them at the DU vice-chancellor’s office on Tuesday.

Imran Habib at the press conference also demanded forming a judicial inquery committee to look into the incident.

"The High Court has ordered the Dhaka University authorities to hold elections of Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) within six months. We fear a plot is being hatched to foil the DUCSU elections," Imran Habib said.

Leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Chhatra Oikya Forum, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist), Bangladesh Students' Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitree were present at the press conference. 

DU students started to demonstrate on 11 January demanding implementation of their four-point, including scrapping of affiliation of seven colleges with Dhaka University.