No scope to discuss 8-point demands till 4-point demands are met: Anti-discriminatory student movement

The coordinators of the anti-discriminatory student movement on Tuesday gave the government another two-day ultimatum to fulfil their four-point “urgent demands”, and said the process to hold talks on their eight-point demand could only open after that.

There is no scope to talk about the eight-point demands until the government fulfils their four-point demands, they added.

Five coordinators and a co-coordinator of the platform that has been leading the student movement seeking a reform in the quota system in government jobs, held a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) Tuesday where they pressed their demands.  A huge number of police took position on the road in front of the DRU before the conference began.

Once again the coordinators placed their four demands at the press conference. The four demands are: restoration of internet service; withdrawal of curfew; withdrawal of law enforcement agencies from campuses, opening of dormitories and ensuring a congenial atmosphere for the return of students; and ensuring security to coordinators of the movement.

Earlier, the coordinators of the movement gave the government a two-day ultimatum to meet these demands. Before that, they met the three ministers at the state guesthouse, Padma, on 19 July night where they placed their eight-point demands.

At Tuesday’s press conference, one of the coordinators of the movement, Sarjis Alam said, “We had informed the government’s representative about the eight-point demand. And then, we informed them about four urgent demands two days ago. If these four demands are not met, there is no option to talk about the eight-point demands.”

“We are yet to receive any response despite the two-day ultimatum and we are giving another two-day ultimatum to meet our demands. We want the government to create a congenial atmosphere on campuses by talking to the university authorities by Thursday so that students can return to campuses on Friday. When we would announce the end of our movement entirely depends on the government,” he added.

Sarjis Alam further said the attitude that the government is showing now, and the sensitive remarks that several ministers of the government are making now, had they done it before the situation would never have come to this far. The damage that was inflicted on numerous families will, in fact, never be possible to fulfil.

This coordinator of the movement also said he is going through a state of fear of being arrested, picked up and tortured physically and mentally round-the-clock.

The government cannot avoid its responsibility for the loss of lives and the damage of properties caused by mayhem and arson, another coordinator Hasnat Abdullah said.

Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference, he said people involved in killing protesting students must be brought to justice within the shortest possible time. The movement started in front of the Dhaka University library and they want to end it there, but, for this, the government must create a fair environment, he added.

The demands of anti-discriminatory student movement include investigations into the killings of the protesters, as well as arrest and trial of the people responsible; financial assistance, monthly allowance to martyrs’ families, as well as ensuring job for one of the family members as per the parents’ opinions; allocation of seat at residential halls through administrative process; ending all terror activities and introducing student unions; withdrawing all cases against quota reform movement; and ensuring that no student involved in quota reform movement faces any political, legal and academic harassments by university administrations.

Coordinator Nahid Islam attended the press conference wearing a lungi. He said members of law enforcement agencies picked up him and tortured him.

Nahid said miscreants carried out various acts of sabotage, set fire to various state-owned structures and damages properties to foil the movement in a planned way. The protesting students have no relation to these incidents of violence.

He added that today’s anarchic situations arose due to irresponsible behaviour and the policy of oppression of the government.

Nahid Islam further said, “The government issued a gazette on quota reform, but we want to clarify that it is not prudent to issue such a gazette without talking to the stakeholders of the quota system, and the protesting students. The beneficiaries of the quota are the stakeholders. We wanted that a gazette will be issued with the consensus of all parties through holding dialogue so that no problems arise in future. We want a final solution to quota reform by ensuring the participation of the students by creating a congenial atmosphere for dialogue. We spoke for a quota system for backward communities and, for the children of freedom fighters, and these issues have been reflected in the gazette. However, the issue of backward communities needs more clarification as well as dialogue with stockholders is also necessary at policymaking levels.”

Replying to a query, Nahid said it was unwanted how much blood had been shed and how many killings took place for the government to issue this gazette, and they wanted the answer to it.

Saying that the door to dialogue with the government on eight demands will open once their four demands are realised, he added, “We are yet to receive accurate data on the causalities with many people still searching for the body of their sons. We did not want quota reform standing on such a huge blood. We want the trial of all killings. We want to place our final demands before the nation after visiting the campuses and discussion with everyone. We feel insecure and we want an end to this situation. The movement will continue until the trial of the killings takes place.”

Speakers at the press conference said three of the anti-discriminatory student movement coordinators - Asif Mahmud, Abu Baker Majumder and Rifat Rashid - have gone missing since 18 July.

Md. Billal Hossain, the father of Asif Mahmud, joined the press conference. He said, “I came to Dhaka from Muradnagar of Cumilla today, Tuesday, after seeing the news about my son being disappeared in the newspaper. I searched for the body at Dhaka Medical College morgue, but did not find him. My only request is I want to find Asif.”

When Billal Hossain was speaking about his son, one of the coordinators Hasnat Abdullah, who was sitting next to him, broke into tears. Another coordinator Sarjis Alam said the father of Asif Mahmud is searching for his son at the morgue of various hospitals, and nothing can be more tragic and shameful than this.

Asif, Baker and Rifat are students of Dhaka University. Rifat is a third-year student in the International Relations department.

Twenty-two former and current teachers issued a statement Tuesday expressing concerns over the missing of Rifat Rashid. Professor CR Abrar, Akmal Hossain, Rashed Uz Zaman, Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, Syeda Rozina Rashid and Abdul Mannan, among others, expressed concerns.

In the statement, these teachers demanded that the authorities concerned ensure the security of Rifat.