Dhaka University: Students threatened eviction from hall if absent from ‘peace rally’
Chhatra League leaders at Dhaka University’s student halls are forcing students to attend the peace rally organised by the Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League and Chhatra League in the capital today (Friday), alleged students.
Students who reside at the halls said that the Chhatra League leaders have threatened that if they don’t show up at the rally, they would no longer be allowed to live in the halls.
Chhatra League leaders of the university’s hall units have sent out this ‘order’ in the official Facebook Messenger groups of the student halls. The leaders began sending this order on Thursday night. Few screenshots of those messages have been circulating on Facebook since last night.
In protest of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami’s alleged killings, conspiracies, and disorder, Jubo League, Swechchhasebak League, and Chhatra League are jointly holding a peace rally near the south gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque in the capital on Friday afternoon. Chhatra League has instructed its leaders and activists to be present at the rally by 2:15pm.
When asked about the viral screenshots, Dhaka University Chhatra League president Mazharul Kabir told Prothom Alo, all of them are fake, they are all baseless.
Out of the 18 residential halls in the Dhaka University, 13 are under the control of Chhatra League. Students live in the rooms and common rooms which are under their control and in return, they have to attend Chhatra League programmes.
In the screenshot of the Bijoy Ekattor Hall Messenger group, it was seen that the hall Chhatra League’s organisational secretary Shakirul Islam aka Shakib is telling the leaders, activists and students, “Everyone from every room has to attend. Those who are not in the hall right now, tell them to come back. If someone from a room is absent, the third year students will go to that room at night.”
He further said, “This is an important programme. Nobody even think of missing it. Tomorrow (Friday) we will take at least 60 people to the programme. And of course we will have to stay their till the end. Right after the Jummah prayer, everyone needs to be present in the mini guest room. Whoever doesn’t attend, won’t be allowed to stay in the rooms.”
In another screenshot, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall Chhatra League’s deputy office secretary Sabbir Hossain aka Khoka told the students, “We will leave the hall at 1:50pm… If someone isn’t present, we will make ‘special arrangements’ for him tomorrow night. This is applicable to everyone.”
Sabbir was contacted multiple times to clarify the message seen in the screenshot but he didn’t respond to any calls.
Many more screenshots with similar messages were seen on Facebook. Some students residing in halls said those screenshots are legitimate. They have been instructed to attend the rally and have been threatened that they won’t be allowed to stay in the hall if they don’t attend.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is holding a grand rally in Naya Paltan in the capital on Friday demanding the resignation of the government.