The Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture, popularly known as the Raju Sculpture, was erected in front of the Dhaka University Teachers and Students Center (TSC) on 17 September, 1997. It has now come under attack.
Moin Hossain Raju, a student of the university’s soil science department and a central leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, was shot dead during a clash between the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra League in 1992. The anti-terrorism sculpture was set up to pay tribute to his memory.
On Wednesday, the Chhatra League covered the anti-terrorism sculpture with a black cloth, bringing allegations of terrorism activities against the Chhatra Union leaders and activists.
Earlier, the Ganatantrik Chhatra Jot (Democratic Students Alliance) held a procession on Tuesday evening, protesting the killings of four UPDF activists in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
When they gathered on the premises of Raju Sculpture to hold a rally after the procession, a section of the participants vandalised a portrait of the metro rail and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It prompted the Chhatra League men to launch an attack on them, and some leaders and activists of the alliance sustained injuries in the aftermath.
Prior to that, the Chhatra Union, a key member of the democratic alliance, issued a statement, requesting the Chhatra League to remove the portrait covering the Raju Sculpture. Therefore, all the anger was targeted at the Chhatra Union.
The Chhatra League men not only covered the sculpture but also placed a banner with the title - “Chhatra Union’s terrorism at anti-terrorism Raju Sculpture.”
Later, Meghmallar Basu and Main Ahmed, respectively president and secretary of the student front’s Dhaka University unit, came under attack and were undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday. Meghmallar suffered critical injuries in his left eye.
This is the picture of Chhatra League’s coexistence policy on the campus.
Vandalising the prime minister’s photo is undoubtedly a condemnable act. The Chhatra League men could have sought action from the administration and, if necessary, taken the issue to the legal ground. Instead of considering the options, why did they attack the alliance activists? Why did they wrap the Raju Sculpture with a black cloth?
On the other hand, the university administration canceled a seminar of the University Teachers Network on the new curriculum at the RC Majumdar Auditorium on Wednesday, citing a lame excuse. The administration said the seminar would give rise to anti-government and anti-state statements. But they should know that the state and the government are not the same. Again, criticising a government policy does not mean denial to the government's authority.
Foiling the seminar, the university authorities proved that they do not want the practice of knowledge on the campus and reaching the right decision through arguments.
If the university teachers cannot hold a seminar on the curriculum, what will they discuss? Under no circumstances can such restrictions be accepted in a university, which was familiar as a cradle of all democratic movements.
The Raju Sculpture is a symbol of protest against injustice and terrorism. Do the individuals who covered the symbol with a black cloth want to keep injustice and terror alive on the campus?
It is less likely that the Chhatra League will remove the black cover on its own initiative. Hence, our demand to the university authorities is that the cover be removed from the Raju Sculpture immediately. Let all the propaganda against the opposing student organisations be stopped.
The coexistence of all student fronts will be ensured on the campus only when all are allowed to carry out their organisational activities without any hindrance and fear.