Claiming that a recent Facebook status of Dhaka University professor Asif Nazrul “seditious”, Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha on Wednesday afternoon demanded his speedy arrest and removal from his job.
The Mancha leaders and activists formed a human chain and demonstrated against the chairman of law department of the university in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus. Around 30 people took part in the event where they burnt an effigy of Asif Nazrul.
Bangladesh Chhatra League, a front body of ruling Bangladesh Awami League, filed a written complaint against the law professor with Shahbagh police station in the capital on Wednesday evening.
Earlier, a faction of BCL men, led by BCL central legal affairs secretary Fuad Hossain, went with a procession to the law department and locked Asif Nazrul's room after a programme at Central Shaheed Minar marking the anniversary of the series bomb blast across the country on 17 August. They also hung some handwritten posters that called Asif Nazrul a “traitor”, “an agent of Taliban” and “an aide of militancy”.
My (Facebook) status did not mention any individual. It was about aspirations for a fair election
Fuad Hossain told Prothom Alo that aggrieved students locked the chamber of Asif Nazrul.
As the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan, professor Asif Nazrul posted a status on his verified Facebook profile. The status read, “Bangladesh also could see scenes like that of Kabul airport if a fair election is held.”
In his written complaint against Asif Nazrul with Shahbagh police station, BCL’s central human development affairs secretary Nahid Hasan said Asif Nazrul’s Facebook status could trigger incidents that would tarnish the image of the country and destabilise the law and order situation.
Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge Maudut Hawlader told Prothom Alo that the complaint has been filed as a general diary (GD). “Further action will be taken after consulting the cyber crime unit of DMP (Dhaka Metropolitan Police),” he added.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, professor Asif Nazrul said, “I’m shocked and astonished seeing the reaction of some people about one of my Facebook statuses. My (Facebook) status did not mention any individual. It was about aspirations for a fair election. Such people become fearful as a government formed by a fair election could take tougher measures against corrupt individuals, criminals and extremists.
“My status talked about this as a probability. I think there is no relation between the hope for a fair election and encouraging extremism or fundamentalism. I hope this misunderstanding about my (Facebook) status will be cleared.”
Dhaka University proctor AKM Golam Rabbani told Prothom Alo, “We were informed about Asif Nazrul's room being locked. An assistant proctor has been asked to check what happened there and why.”