DU teachers condemn 'unprecedented' brutality on quota protesters

Condemning the attacks on general students demanding quota reform, renowned educationist Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury yesterday said such incidents did not take place during the Pakistan or British period.

"These incidents are unfortunate, shameful and unbelievable," he said while addressing a protest rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

Under the banner of “Nipiron Birodhi Shikkhakbrindo (Teachers Against Repression)”, a group of teachers of Dhaka University brought out a procession from in front of the DU central library which ended at the Shaheed Minar.

They demanded a campus free from repression.

Serajul, also a professor emeritus of Dhaka University, said the government was compelled to form a committee because of the logical protest of the students. But the protesters were brutally and barbarically attacked.

"I have never seen such a brutal attack with a hammer," he said. "In the current situation, there is no security for people. Cases are being filed against those taking part in protest. From this programme, I raise my demand for quota reform,” he added.

Criticising the role of the DU administration in this regard, law professor Asif Nazrul said, “On many occasions, we saw that the university administration and teachers' association supported students in any logical movement.

“But during the quota demonstration they didn't give any support to the students. They didn't even try to help the injured students.”

Gitiara Nasreen, a professor of mass communication and journalism, placed a five-point demand including the arrest of those who attacked the quota reform protesters on university campuses across the country.

Their other demands include the university authorities bearing the expenses of treatment of the injured protesters, trial for the sexual assault on female participants, and withdrawal of the “false cases” against the demonstrators.

They also urged the authorities to bring an end to the assault and repression on general students and teachers.

Kazir Maruful Islam, a professor of development studies, and Prof Fahmidul Haq of mass communication and journalism department also took part in the procession.

Meanwhile, Pragatishil Chhatra Jote, an alliance of left-leaning student organisations, yesterday brought out a procession on the DU campus around 12:15pm protesting brutalities against students allegedly by Bangladesh Chhatra League across the country. They later met DU Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman and submitted a memorandum to him around 1:00pm.

BANKING DEPT'S PROTEST

Wearing black cloth around their faces, more than 200 students of banking and insurance department of DU yesterday formed a human chain in front of the business studies faculty, demanding immediate release of detained leaders of the quota reform movement. They also demanded a safe campus for all and punishment for the attackers of quota reform activists.

At the programme, they vowed that they will boycott all academic activities until the release of the detainees.