BCL celebrates birthday at DU defying Covid restrictions

While the law enforcement agencies slap people with fine for coming out, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of ruling Awami League, has celebrated a birthday of its central leader on Dhaka University (DU) campus on Tuesday night lighting firecrackers, cutting cake and exchanging floral greetings.

A cake—marking the birthday of SM Riyad Hasan, a deputy secretary of BCL central unit literary affairs—has been cut at the guest room of Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall on Tuesday night in presence of BCL president Al Nahiyan Khan Joy.

Following cutting cake, hundreds of leaders and activists of BCL lighted firecrackers and exchanged floral greetings at the premises of Teachers and Students Center (TSC)—a place where law enforcers remain vigilant in 24 hours to halt people’s movement without valid reason.

While the university authorities directed all students to leave the dormitories in the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, SM Riyad Hasan has been living allegedly in Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall for months illegally.

He managed to flee while the university authorities accompanied by police conducted a drive on 26 June. Later, Riyad returned to the hall and celebrated the birthday party on Tuesday night.

Admitting the matter of birthday party, he told Prothom Alo that they entered the hall’s guest room for the birthday party following the permission of authorities concerned.

Prothom Alo could not reach BCL president Al Nahiyan Khan Joy for comment regarding the matter.

When asked, university’s proctor AKM Golam Rabbani told Prothom Alo, “TSC and the hall authorities concerned were asked to look into the matter. We want cooperation from all quarters to implement the strict restrictions.”