BCL men threaten quota protesters, police don't record complaints

Quota protesters received death threats allegedly from Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders on the Dhaka University campus on Tuesday night.

But, they said, the police on Wednesday refused to record their complaints, citing requirement of permission from higher authorities.

BCL is the student wing of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

“BCL leaders threatened to kills us last night  (Tuesday night). We went to Shahbag police station to file a general diary (GD), but the police declined to record it,” Nurul Haque, leading figure among the protesters, told a press conference in front of Dhaka University central library.

A joint convener of Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad (General Students Rights Protection Council), the platform of the general students seeking quota reforms, he also alleged that the police kept them waiting for half an hour.

“When we requested them to record the complaints, the police said it is not possible without the permission of the higher authorities.”

Former vice president of BCL central committee Imtiaz Bulbul Bappi, Hazi Muhammad Mohsin Hall unit general secretary Mehedi Hasan Sani and Fine Arts Faculty BCL unit general secretary Fahim Islam Limon threatened to kill Nurul Haque and Rashed Khan, said Rashed, another joint convenor, told Prothom Alo.

“We will continue to boycott classes and examinations in all universities and colleges until the gazette confirming quota reforms is published,” he added.

“We will leave the demonstration once a gazette is published as per the prime minister's pledge to abolish the quota system,” said Hasan Al Mamun, another joint convener of the organisation.

Meanwhile, UNB reports, students of Dhaka University (DU) on Wednesday brought out a protest rally on the campus following an overnight threat allegedly issued by BCL leaders to kill two leaders of the ongoing quota reform movement.

Nurul Haque, also resident student of room no-119 at Hazi Mohammad Mohsin Hall, claimed that "A group of 8-10 Chhatra League men led by Bappi and Sanni came to my room around 2am, where Rashed was also present."

"They threatened to kill us and said they can shoot me down any time, but now they can't do it until the permission comes from higher authority," he alleged.

"I called the university proctor seeking help, but we didn't get any response from them," added Nurul.