PM questions why BUET students continue movement after demands are met

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday questioned justification of continuing the movement at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) campus after the demands of the students had been met by the authorities. The demands has arisen following the murder of BUET student Abrar Fahad.

“The BUET vice chancellor has accepted the 10-point demand of the students following the murder. After that the students have said they’ll continue their movement … I don’t know what the logic is after fulfillment of their demands,” she said.

The prime minister simultaneously reissued a strong warning against wrongdoings on campuses of educational institutions, asserting that strict action will be taken against the wrongdoers whoever they might be.

“Our words are clear, we will never tolerate any crime on campus … we didn’t allow it in the past and will also not accept it in future,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina was speaking as chief guest AT the second conference of the Mohila Sramik League at Krishibid Institute, Bangladesh Convention Centre in the capital in the morning.

General secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Obaidul Quader also spoke on the occasion, while president of Mohila Sramik League Raushan Jahan Sathi was in the chair.

Convener of Conference Preparation Committee and Executive President of Mohila Sramik League Suraiya Aktar delivered the welcome address, while general secretary of the organisation Begum Shamsunnahar Bhuyan presented the organisational report.

The prime minister inaugurated the conference by releasing pigeons and balloons and hoisted the national flag. President and general secretary of the organisation Raushan Jahan Sathi and Begum Shamsunnahar Bhuyan hoisted the party flag.

A minute’s silence was observed as a mark of respect to the memory of father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, four national leaders and martyrs of different movements including liberation war.

The prime minister said the government will take stringent action against those who indulged in crime on campus.

“We’ll take action against those to be involved in crime. The education environment will have to be maintained on the campus,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said, “The students will have keeping pace with the rest of the world in their studies … they’ll also have to develop themselves as good citizens and take the country forward.”

She said the government did not hesitate to take action against the killers of Abrar Fahad. “We don’t take party affiliation into consideration… we treat killers as killers, wrongdoers as wrongdoers and torturers as torturers,” she added.

Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, said she did not wait for any movement or any directive of anybody after being informed of the killing of Abrar Fahad.

“I immediately instructed the police to arrest the killers and collect all information from the video footage regarding the murder. But the police faced trouble in collecting the footage,” she said.

The prime minister said the students obstructed the police when they were collecting the video footage. “I don’t know why they did it?” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the inspector general of police rushed to her after the incident and wanted to know that what they should do.

“When I asked him what the students want, he said that they wanted a copy of the video footage and I asked him to give a copy of the footage to the students,” she said.

“But you also take the footage and identify and arrest the killers, take action against them,” she added.

The prime minister said the accused could not flee and they were arrested immediately if three-four hours time was not wasted for collecting the video footage.

“There was nothing to be doubtful about this and I don’t know about the issue … it seemed that a scope was given to the accused to flee or else and the protesters can reply to this question, but I cannot say it,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina further said: “I did not delay a single moment and took steps immediately after being informed of the matter … Such a crime can be never accepted.”