Student group urges President Shahabuddin not to visit Shaheed Minar over ‘silence’ during mass killings

Shahabuddin has been urged to remain at Bangabhaban for his silence during the mass killings in July and August

A group of students styled Revolutionary Student Council has urged President Mohammed Shahabuddin to refrain from visiting the Central Shaheed Minar at dawn on Feb 21 for remaining silent during the mass killings in July and August.

The appeal was made by the organisation's convenor Abdul Wahid from an ongoing mass sit-in at the Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University on Wednesday afternoon.

He said, "In July and August, we lost more than two thousand brothers and sisters. Yet, during the entire incident, President Mohammed Shahabuddin remained silent. It is also well known that he became president through the votes of the ‘illegal’ MPs of Sheikh Hasina's ‘unlawful’ election’."

"Sheikh Hasina has departed. The parliament has been dissolved, and the MPs have also fled. Yet, he continues to hold the presidency.

“Despite calls for his resignation from the student community, he has not stepped down. However, he lacks the acceptance of the people and remains in power solely with the support of vested interests."

The president has been urged to remain within the four walls of Bangabhaban, with Wahid saying: "Our demand is that President Mohammed Shahabuddin should not set foot on the Dhaka University campus, the birthplace of the July Revolution. He should not go to the Central Shaheed Minar at the dawn of February 21."

Typically, at the dawn of Feb 21, at 12:01am, the head of state and the head of government pay tribute by laying flowers at the martyr's altar who sacrificed their lives for the right to speak their mother tongue on Feb 21, marked as Martyrs' Day and International Mother Language Day.