The government continues its drive to arrest the students who had taken to the streets in demand of safe roads and also those who had previously been demanding reforms in the government service quota system. Till Wednesday, 97 have been arrested for involvement in the movements. Ironically, the government had termed both the movements as justified. Questions have arisen about the unjustified arrests being made against the leaders and activists of these justified movements.
The law enforcement agencies say that that it is only those who made instigative statements and spread rumours during the movements that are being caught. This includes the internationally reputed photographer Shahidul Alam. There is no evidence of his spreading any false rumours. He spoke in an interview with a foreign TV channel and criticised the government in the social media. Criticising the government or opposing its actions is not a crime in a democracy.
It is a matter of concern that while the government is arresting students involved in the movement as well as others outside of the campus, they have not touched a single one of those who assaulted the protestors. Leaders and activists of the ruling party’s student and youth wings attacked the demonstrators at various times of the movement. In Rajshahi, activists of the government-backed student organisation Chhatra League smashed the leg bones of one of the protesting students. They repeatedly attacked the students at the Dhaka University campus and at the Shaheed Minar. The names of several of the attackers appeared in the media, but the police seem unable to locate them. That is very unfortunate.
Many journalists, including of Prothom Alo, were also assaulted while covering the students’ safe road movement. It wasn’t the students who attacked them. It is reported that the leaders and activists of the ruling party’s student and youth wings carried out the attacks. They pounced on them the moment they heard they were journalists. Government ministers and leaders vowed to take to book anyone who had attacked the journalists, but not a single one of these culprits has been arrested as yet. On the contrary, the journalists have been assaulted by the law enforcement while carrying out their duty. If the attackers are not arrested, then it is evident that the government’s words do not match their deeds. Various international human rights and media institutions have condemned these attacks.
The government has accused the arrested persons of instigation and spreading rumours. If anyone has really spread rumours, they can be tried under the prevailing law. The law enforcement caught and brought in a girl student all the way from a char in Sirajganj on the basis of suspicion, but can’t find the persons who assaulted the journalists in Dhaka. Such contradictions of the law enforcement agencies go against the rule of law.
From the top level of government it was said that the quota reform movement and the movement for safe roads were justified. No justified movement can be halted by force. If anyone infiltrates these movements to create disorder, the government can catch them and take legal action. But they must immediately stop unnecessarily harassing any student of anyone outside of the campus without and evidence or proof.
Release all the students immediately in order to restore peace and harmony on campus.