Leftist students, VP Nur’s council float platform to fight violence at Dhaka University

The leftist student groups and the council of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union Vice-President Nurul Haque Nur have floated a platform to resist violence on the campus.

Dhaka University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 27 Dec 2019, 05:16 PM
Updated : 27 Dec 2019, 05:16 PM

Besides Nur’s organisation – the Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students’ Rights – the other groups in the new platform are Bangladesh Students’ Union, two factions of both Chhatra Front and Chhatra Federation, Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, Biplobi Chhatra-Jubo Andolan, Nagorik Chhatra Oikya, Swatantra Jote, Chhatra Gana Mancha and Chittagong Hill Tracts Hill Students' Council.

Representatives of the 12 organisations announced the new platform, Santrasbirodhi Chhatra Oikya, or Anti-Violence Students’ Unity, at a news conference at the Madhu’s Canteen on Friday with an aim to establish a safe, democratic violence-free campus.

DUCSU Social Services Secretary Akhtar Hossain, who was the other member of Nur’s council to be elected to the DUCSU, read out a written statement at the media call.

Students’ Union President Mehdi Hasan Nobel, Chhatra Front President Al Kaderi Joy, Chhatra Federation’s DU unit President Abu Raihan Khan, and Shamsunahar Hall Union VP Sheikh Tasnim Afroz Emi were present along with Bin Yamin Mollah, a joint convenor of Nur’s council.

The announcement came six days after Nur and at least 28 of his associates were injured in attacks by Muktijuddho Mancha and Bangladesh Chhatra League in and outside the DUCSU Bhaban.

The new platform raised four demands at the media conference. These are:

*Expulsion and trial of the attackers

* Resignation of Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani for his failure to protect the students from violence

*Withdrawal of a case against Nur and his followers over the attacks and payment of their treatment bills by the administration

*Ending torture and grabbing of rooms illegally in the halls to ensure safety of the students and democracy on the campus.

Akhtar said, “The campuses have been turned into concentration camps by allowing the criminals to take their control. The administration is backing the criminals to legalise their crimes day after day.”  

“We’ve formed the unity at such a time when an undemocratic environment is choking the freedom of expression, blocking the ways to higher education,” he said.