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Published : 01 Jul 2016, 09:16 PM
The university has sacked acting registrar Syed Rezaur Rahman, who was responsible for the publication of the 95th Dhaka University Day souvenir that described military dictator Ziaur Rahman as Bangladesh’s first president.
VC Siddique also ordered ‘confiscation’ of the copies of the souvenir when a speaker pointed out the distortion of the country’s history in an article of the souvenir in a discussion to mark the day on Friday.
The article says, “Ziaur Rahman became the president of Bangladesh on Apr 21, 1977 after the Liberation War and was killed in a military coup on May 30, 1981.”
It describes first president Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as “one of the main leaders of Bangladesh (who) was at the forefront in the struggle to carve out Bangladesh from East Pakistan and is considered the Father of the Nation.”
The finding in the afternoon triggered protests by ruling Awami League’s student front Chhatra League activists and general students.
The Chhatra League activists burnt copies of the souvenir and demonstrated in front of Siddique’s bungalow.
They raised slogans demanding his resignation after 4:30pm and locked the main gate of his house after another hour. The gate was unlocked at about 8pm.
In the slogans, the activists called the VC Jamaat-e-Islami and collaborator of the Pakistani army, demanding that he resign immediately.
BCL DU unit General Secretary Motahar Hossain Prince was one of the students who led the slogans.
A group of BCL activists, led by their central committee Vice-President Anwar Hossain Anu, made a symbolic gesture pointing shoes toward the VC’s house.
Pro-VC Nasrin Ahmad tried to get out of the VC’s house around 5:15pm but could not as the security guards locked the gate from inside just before the Chhatra League activists did the same from outside.
Proctor Amjad Ali told bdnews24.com that the registrar was removed following the protestors’ demand.
“I wonder why the protests have continued and how the VC’s removal is demanded,” he said.
About the political identities of the protestors, Ali said, “I am not saying anything about Chhatra League. As the boys are demonstrating over an issue related to the Bangabandhu, I will call it a movement by general students.”
He earlier rescued the registrar when the BCL activists had locked the latter inside his office around noon.
Later in the afternoon, VC Siddique refused to take the blame, saying the author of the article was guilty.
