Form JS committee to assist govt for peaceful solution

A lawmaker yesterday called for forming a parliamentary committee to assist the government to find out ways for a peaceful solution over student’s movement on quota reform.

Terming the unprecedented and shameful attack on the Dhaka University vice chancellor’s house, they also demanded exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.

“A parliamentary body should be formed to assist the government to find out ways for an acceptable solution regarding the student’s movement on quota reform,” independent lawmaker Rustam Al Farazi told the House.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, who was in the chair at that time, however, did not give any ruling.

As the violence erupted across the country, some students allegedly vandalised the residence of the DU VC.

The lawmaker during an unscheduled discussion drew the attention of the home minister for not arresting agents of Jamaat-Shibir and Imran H Sarker who had posted an untrue statement to erupt the violence on the DU campus.

Imran, a spokesperson of the Gonojagaran Mancha, in his Facebook status on Saturday night, mentioned that a student, injured during police firing, died.

Taking the floor, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said the person who spread propaganda through his Facebook account is an agent of Jamaat-Shibir and element of anti-liberation war.

Without mentioning the name of Imran, she said, “Do you want to kill people who are alive?”

Terming him a son of razakar, she said, “We must see these sons of the razakars. They will not be spared. No mercy for them.”

Matia, however, said the government does not have anger with the students.

However, she lambasted the masked demonstrators for vandalising the VC’s residence.

“Those who posted status on Facebook are not students. They are the agents of Jamaat-Shibir,” she said.

State Minister for Information Tarana Halim said, “Realising demands through movements is a constitutional right. But realising demands through vandalism is not acceptable anyway.”

She also lambasted Imran for posting such an untrue statement and spreading falsehood through Facebook.

Lawmaker Sabina Akhter Tuhin demanded that the home minister should arrest Imran immediately for his falsehood. She also vowed to resist the Jamaat-Shibir force.

Two lawmakers -- Yeasin Ali from Workers Party of Bangladesh and Abul Kalam Azad from BNF -- called for resolving the crisis through discussions.