Two DU students fall sick during hunger strike for Dhaka vote day change

Two of the Dhaka University students on a hunger strike demanding rescheduling of the Dhaka city election day because of Saraswati Puja have fallen sick.

Dhaka University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 Jan 2020, 02:57 PM
Updated : 18 Jan 2020, 01:26 PM

Arko Saha of soil, water and environment department and Apurba Chakrabarty of theatre and performance studies department were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday afternoon.

Many more have fallen sick, but they have not agreed to go to hospital, Jagannath Hall Students’ Union Vice-President Utpal Biswas, a key organiser of the protests, said.

“We have staged a nonviolent movement. Students from all religions have expressed solidarity with us,” he said.

Kajol Das, the general secretary of the hall union, was put on saline drips.

“I won’t go to hospital until the communal (tribalist) decision is changed,” he said.

The demonstrators started the strike at the altar of Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus on Thursday demanding that the Election Commission shift the vote from Jan 30 as it coincides with the Puja.

The goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom, and learning, Saraswati is most revered by Hindu students and artistes, among others.

Jagannath Hall, which houses Hindu students, organises Saraswati Puja along with other higher educational institutions across the country.

It is under the Dhaka South City Corporation. Several institutions under Dhaka South and North city corporations organise Saraswati Puja and are also used as polling stations.

The Jagannath Hall students had earlier sent a letter to the returning officer. Joined by a group of teachers, Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU had also organised demonstrations urging the EC to shift the vote.

Ashok Kumar Ghosh, a lawyer, had moved the High Court but the verdict went in favour of the EC’s plans. He later filed a petition at the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court judgment.