A group of Dhaka University students, under the banner of “Students against Repression”, formed a human chain at the foot of Raju Memorial Sculpture yesterday protesting the recent BCL attack on quota reformists.

The protesters demanded punishment of the attackers.

Another human chain was formed on the campus under the banner of “Sadharan Shikkharthi”, in which BCL leaders and activists took part.

Speaking at the programme at the foot of Raju Memorial Sculpture, Nur Arafat, a second-year honours student of DU, said no actions would be taken if anyone was assaulted on the campus.

“The proctor is saying that he will take steps if anyone files a complaint. Will my body file a complaint if I die today?” he said.

At the other human chain programme, presidents and general secretaries of some BCL hall units were seen coordinating the event while some others were standing around.

Addressing the programme, BCL men alleged that a quarter was trying to create an unstable situation in the country.

BCL central committee member Tanvirul Haque Saikat said, “We have stood against them as Rashed and Nur are trying to implement the agenda of a political party.”

Many BCL leaders, including its Deputy Student Scholarship Affairs Secretary Sheikh Sagar, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall unit Vice-President Kamal Uddin Rana, Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall unit Deputy Publication Affairs Secretary Hasibul Haque Shanto, Bijoy Ekattor Hall unit International Affairs Secretary Sakib Hasan and Salimulllah Muslim Hall unit Organising Secretary Mahbubul Haque were present.

At Rajshahi University, a group of teachers held a unique protest on the campus yesterday against the attacks on students seeking reform in the quota in government jobs.

Farid Uddin Khan, an associate professor of economics, in a Facebook post previously declared that he would hold a “Barefoot Silent Protest”. He said he would walk to his office barefooted in silence and observe silence from 11:00am to 12:00pm yesterday.

Although he was allegedly barred by the chairman of his department from staging the protest against the BCL attack, some other teachers responded to his call and protested in silence.

Prof Saleh Hasan of physics department, Prof Saiful Islam of computer science department, Prof Baitus Mokaddesur Rahman of pharmacy department, and Prof Iftekharul Islam of Arabic department staged the protest for around half an hour.

Several hundred RU students later joined the teachers' protest programme. They staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building for more than an hour.

Our DU and RU correspondents contributed to this report.