BUP students protesting road crash killing tell DUCSU VP Nur to go away

Nurul Haque Nur went to express solidarity with the Bangladesh University of Professionals students protesting against the death of a peer, but the DUCSU vice-president found himself unwelcome by a group of protesters.

A Suprobhat Paribahan bus ran over and killed BUP student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury near Jamuna Future Park at Bashundhara around 7:30am on Tuesday.

Following the incident, BUP students took to the streets in the area blocking traffic. They announced to return on Wednesday morning while leaving in the evening.

Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam went to the area to speak to the protesters around 10am but despite his requests and assurances of meeting their demand for justice, the protesters refused to move away from the streets.

Students take to the streets in protest after the death of Bangladesh University of Professionals student Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury in a road accident in front of the Jamuna Future Park on Tuesday. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Nur, the recently elected VP of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU, along with another leader of his panel of quota reformers, Rashed Khan, joined the protests around 4:45pm.

A group of protesters, however, barred them from going to the site, a zebra crossing, where Abrar had died.

They shouted “Go away! Go Away!”, “Fake! Fake!” at Nur.

Nur and Rashed waited for several minutes metres away from the protesters who shouted slogans against the Dhaka University student leader’s presence.

Later, another group of protesters helped Nur and Rashed leave the place.

“We are not accepting Nur,” Maiesha Nur, the spokesperson for the protesters, announced through loudspeaker from a makeshift stage raised at the site at the time.

Later, while calling off the blockade for the day, Maiesha urged all the students in Bangladesh to boycott classes and exams until their demands are accepted.

“It’s not a political movement. We don’t want reflection of any political presence here,” she added.

Slogans against the DUCSU VP continued when he was speaking to the media before leaving the place.

“Please be aware of efforts to pass the blame on you. Continue your protests and inform us whenever you need anything. We are with you,” Nur told the protesters. 

Any move to “stifle peaceful protests” will be dealt with firmly, he warned, citing attacks on students during protests against VAT on tuition fees at private universities, and protests for safe roads and reforms to quota system in government jobs.

After he left the place, Faysal Enayet, one of the protesters, told bdnews24.com that a group of students had barred Nur from visiting the site.

“We will surely speak to him if he comes again to express solidarity with us. He can come whenever he wants to,” Faysal said.