BCL stands shoulder to shoulder with JCD, religion-based groups at protest

Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Jagannath University unit has joined forces with rival Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and religion-based groups to demand punishment of a student for allegedly defaming Islam on Facebook.

Besides BCL and JCD, members of Islami Shasantantra Andolan and Ahle Hadis demonstrated on the campus in Dhaka demanding the accused student’s expulsion on Saturday.

They took out a procession and organised a human-chain demonstration called by Jagannath University Islamic Society, which came into being during similar protests against alleged defamation of Islam on social media by another student in April last year.

Al Imran Babu, who is heading the Society, said even members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Tabligh Jamaat and followers of Charmonoai Peer joined the demonstration along with general students.

Shahbaz Hossain, a BCL leader of the unit, said some activists of the organisation joined the demonstration because general students were enraged by the “Facebook post of the accused student”.

Another BCL leader, Syed Shakil, said they would announce fresh protests soon although there was no instruction on the issue from the central leadership.  

Speaking to bdnews24.com, JCD leader Shahadat Hossain demanded legal action against the accused student and her expulsion.

bdnews24.com could not contact the student, who was a member of Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students’ Rights, a platform that spearheaded the anti-quota movement.

The organisation has suspended her and asked for her explanation within a week, said its leader Mahmudul Hasan Mishu. 

Proctor Mostafa Kamal said they would discuss the issue at a meeting on Tuesday.

Pallabi Police Station OC Wazed Ali said the student filed a general diary alleging that her Facebook account had been hacked and the perpetrators had uploaded the post that stirred the protests.

“We will send the case to the cybercrime department on Sunday,” he said.