Attack on Chhatra Union: Leftist orgs stage demo before DU VC office

Leaders and activists of left-leaning student fronts have staged a demonstration before the vice-chancellor’s office at Dhaka University this evening, protesting against the brutal attacks on two Chhatra Union leaders.

They continued their demonstration for nearly one and a half hours starting at 6:30 pm on Thursday and called it off following assurance of justice from the university administration.

At one stage of the protest programme, a delegation entered the VC office around 7:30 pm. As the VC was engaged in a significant meeting, the delegation talked to Proctor Maksudur Rahman and placed their demands.

They came out of the office after around 30 minutes and briefed the fellow protesters about the authorities’ assurance.

“We demanded speedy trial of the attack on the student leaders and the proctor extended assurance in this regard,” said Student Council leader Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury.

He, however, vowed to continue their protest and announced a solidarity rally at Shahbagh on Friday.

Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders-activists beat up the two Chhatra Union leaders – DU unit president Meghmallar Basu and general secretary Maeen Ahmed – separately on the campus and in the adjacent Shahbagh area on Thursday afternoon.

They were receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Meghmallar Basu sustained severe injury in his eye.

The conflict originated from a programme called by the left-leaning organisations in protest against the recent killings in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

When they gathered on the premises of Raju Sculpture to hold a rally after the procession, a section of the participants vandalised a portrait of the metro rail and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It prompted the Chhatra League men to launch an attack on them, and some leaders and activists of the alliance sustained injuries in the aftermath.

Prior to that, the Chhatra Union, a key member of the democratic alliance, issued a statement, requesting the Chhatra League to remove the portrait covering the Raju Sculpture. Therefore, all the anger was targeted at the Chhatra Union.