War crimes convicts photo at exhibition: Student orgs protest, Chhatra Shibir holds press conference

The left-leaning organisations staged on Tuesday night demonstrations on the Dhaka University campus protesting against exhibiting the photographs of persons convicted for war crimes during the liberation war in 1971.

The photographs were shown at an exhibition organised by Islami Chhatra Shibir’s DU unit at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of the university, commemorating the first anniversary of the July Mass Uprising.

Following the protest procession, “March of hatred against Razakars-Tyrant” around 9:30 pm, the left-leaning student organisations organised a press conference.

Islami Chhatra Shibir’s DU unit organised the three-day exhibition, discussion and cultural programme titled “36 July: We will not Stop”. When the photographs of convicted war criminals spread on social media, it drew widespread criticism. Later, the DU administration removed the photos from the exhibition in the evening.

When the news of the exhibition spread, leaders and activists of several left-leaning student organisations gathered at the TSC gate and chanted various slogans against this.

In response, activists from Chhatra Shibir, taking positions on the opposite side of the TSC gate, chanted slogans equating the left-leaning student organisations as supporters of autocratic rule of Sheikh Hasina and referencing the 2013 Shahbagh protests.

Later, the left-leaning student organisations brought out the protest procession from the TSC area around 9:30 pm and ended at the university’s VC square.

Earlier in the day, representatives of various student organisations submitted a list of four demands to the university proctor: immediate removal of the images of the war criminals and cancellation of the event; a public apology from Chhatra Shibir for such an act; assurance that such actions would not recur; and an explanation from the administration for allowing such content on campus.

At a press conference held at the TSC auditorium that night, Chhatra Shibir’s Dhaka University unit president SM Farhad responded to the protests.

He alleged that the protesters were all affiliated with various organisations, describing them as successors of the Shahbagh movement.

Speaking about Chhatra Shibir’s stance on the Liberation War, Farhad said, “We, the Islami Chhatra Shibir, also demand justice for all killings related to the Liberation War. Carrying the legacy of the liberation war, we said the 2024 uprising is an extension of that struggle.”

The DU Islami Chhatra Shibir president further said, “People took to the streets when Delwar Hossain Sayeedi was hanged through judicial killing. Nearly 200 people were shot to death at that time. It became normal for the Awami League to shoot people to death as some people justified the killings at that time.”

SM Farhad also said, “Those who justified the killings of over 200 people, can never avoid responsibilities of that. Because of them, Awami League could kill hundreds of people during the July-August mass uprising.”