Nahid rejects general amnesty call for student protesters of private universities

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said ‘no’ to a call for general amnesty for private university students who joined protests for safe roads.

When the vice-chancellors of several private universities in Dhaka made the call at an emergency meeting with the education ministry and the University Grants Commission on Wednesday, Nahid said those who ‘commit crimes’ must be brought to justice.

“Please forgive those whoever among the students had committed crimes. They will return to the right path if you announce a general amnesty,” World University of Bangladesh VC Prof Abdul Mannan Choudhury said to the government.    

“Find out the outsiders who instigated and misled the students,” he added.

Students from high schools and colleges waged the movement for safe roads after two of their peers were killed in a road accident in Dhaka on July 29.

Students of private universities clashed with the police and pro-government youths on the ninth day of the protests on Monday.

The law enforcers detained at least 75 protesters and took 22 of them in their custody for questioning.

“We want to see the remanded students released,” Eastern University VC Prof Aminul Hoque said.

North South University VC Prof Atique Islam, ASA University VC Dalem Chandra Barman and several other VCs of private universities also urged the government to pardon the students.

Prime Asia University Prof Abdul Hannan Chowdhury demanded the law enforcers take permission of the authorities of the private universities before acting against the students like they do in case of the students of public universities. 

In response to the VCs’ demands, Nahid said he would take steps to ensure that no innocent student is harassed.

“But who can pardon if any student is found to have done any misdeed?” he asked.

“We can’t stop legal actions against those who tried to worsen the situation deliberately by spreading rumours,” the education minister said.

Nahid claimed the students of schools and colleges did not hit the streets after the ministry sat with college principals on Aug 5.

“But the private university students took to the streets amid attempts to advance some other objective. You’ve seen that orders were given on phones, which means some people tried to hijack the movement.     

“Now the demand for amnesty has been made. Who are we to forgive? If someone continues protests after the problems are solved, he or she will be dealt with legally,” he added.