Prothom Alo, Daily Star must definitely be shut down: RUCSU VP
Mostakur Rahman, vice-president (VP) of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and a Shibir leader, has declared that the country’s leading Bangla daily Prothom Alo and English daily The Daily Star must be shut down.
He made the remarks on Thursday night at a protest march followed by a rally, immediately after news spread of the death of Sharif Osman bin Hadi, spokesperson of the Inqilab Moncho. Mostakur is also the president of the Rajshahi University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir. A video of his speech has circulated on social media, particularly on Facebook.
At the protest rally, Mostakur Rahman said, “We declare from today’s programme that these so-called 'civil' newspapers, including Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, must be shut down. We believe that if any journalists from Prothom Alo or The Daily Star are attending this programme, they should leave immediately.”
On Thursday night, when Shibir leader Mostakur was issuing threats from Rajshahi to shut down the two newspapers, an attack took place at the Prothom Alo office in Dhaka a short time earlier. The attackers entered the office, carried out an assault and looting, and set it on fire. At one point, a group of the assailants attacked The Daily Star office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in Dhaka and set that building on fire as well. Many employees of The Daily Star were trapped inside. After several hours of effort, law enforcement and fire service personnel were able to rescue them.
At the protest rally, RUCSU vice-president Mostakur Rahman said that the Indian High Commission located in Rajshahi must be removed. He declared, “We declare that no Awami fascist teacher of any kind will be allowed to teach at Rajshahi University. We declare that from the blood of brother Hadi, a hundred thousand Hadis will be born, InshaAllah. There are only two Indian High Commissions in Bangladesh. One of them is in Rajshahi. We say that the Indian High Commission must be removed of Rajshahi.”
Criticising this statement by the RUCSU VP, Abdus Sabur, former general secretary of the Rajshahi University Journalists’ Association, wrote on his Facebook account: “Is he speaking as the RUSCU VP or as the president of Shibir? University students should at least understand the condition of their elected representative! In any case, are the statements being made by the RUCSU and DUCSU vice-presidents not incitement to mob violence?”
When news of Sharif Osman bin Hadi’s death spread on Thursday night, a protest march took place at Rajshahi University. The march started from the Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Square on campus, moved along the Dhaka–Rajshahi highway, and ended at the Saheb Bazar Zero Point in the city. During this time, protesters set fire in front of the Awami League office. At one point, RUCSU general secretary (GS) Salahuddin Ammar announced that the Awami League office would be demolished and a public toilet built there. The office was later razed with a bulldozer.
Dhaka University Student Union president Meghmallar Basu wrote on Facebook: “Shibir at RUCSU will say Prothom Alo and The Daily Star must be shut down. Shibir at Jahangirnagar University will say the left, the Shahbagi, Chhayanaut, and Udichi must all be smashed. On the other hand, the nayeb-e-amir will express anguish over these actions. Sadiq Kayem will say a certain group is instigating violence. Statements condemning these acts will be issued on the DUCSU letterhead. We will not stand around like jute sticks while this game is repeated over and over again."