The leaders and activists who were attacked for demonstrating at a protest rally on the death anniversary of Abrar Fahad, a second year student of Electric and Electronic Engineering of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), have landed in jail. The student organisation that attacked them, remains free.
Chhatra League attacked a rally called by Chhatra Odhikar Parishad in front of the Raju memorial sculpture of Dhaka University and injured 12 of its leaders and activists on 7 October. Pictures and videos of this incident have been published in almost all media. After that, when the injured leaders and workers of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, there was another round of attack there as well.
The government says the law is equal for all. But in reality, when Chhatra League attacks the gatherings of other student organisations, the law enforcement and university authorities turn a blind eye. In the incident of 7 October, two leaders of Chhatra League filed a case in Shahbag police station in the name of 25 leaders and workers of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. Police arrested 24 students and found one absconding following the case. The court then sent the 24 to jail and fixed 11 October as the hearing date.
Police did not take any action against those who carried out the attack on the activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad. Instead the victims were charged and sent to jail. Is this called rule of law? Who is responsible even if the leaders and activists of BCL were injured at that day? Why did they carry out the attack on the rally in the first place? Fights broke out after the attack. Where did the government-leaning student organisation get the idea that they can get away with anything they do on the campus including carrying out attacks on opposition student groups?
Can this continue in any civilised country? What is the need of university administration and law enforcement? Let Chhatra League decide who can hold rallies and who can't. The ruling student organisation is conducting one incident of violence after another on the campus, but the university administration is silent. Their attitude has created insecurity among the general students as well as destroying the conducive environment of education.
The university administration cannot evade responsibility by making the excuse that 'permission for the assembly was not taken'. Earlier, the leaders of the new committee of the Chhatra Dal came to meet the vice-chancellor in a pre-arranged courtesy call, but were beaten by the Chhatra League.
The leaders and activists of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, who have been unjustly arrested and sent to jail, should be released immediately. Those who attacked them that day should be brought under the law. A fair and impartial investigation is needed into the events of that day.
But who will do that? It cannot be expected of those who try to save the aggressor by arguing that there had been no permission to assemble.