Arrest, expulsion demand on for second day

Protests were staged at Rajshahi University (RU) for the second consecutive day yesterday demanding expulsion and arrest of a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader who beat a cultural activist unconscious and left him with a fractured right shinbone.

The victim, Basudev Roy, a former president of RU Kendrio Sangskritik Jote, said the beating ensued when a window he opened in Silsila Restaurant on the campus on Tuesday evening bumped the BCL RU assistant secretary, Saddam Hossain Sajib, who was sitting outside, on the head.

The jote's 24-hour ultimatum demanding Saddam's arrest ended yesterday and it is yet to inform of its plans.

A group of cultural activists led by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Rajshahi President Abul Hossain met the vice-chancellor, demanding that he mount pressure on police.

Joined by several hundred teachers and students, the group then organised a rally in front of the central library where protest songs were performed.

“The Awami League-led progressive government must shoulder the responsibility,” demanded Abul, also a language movement veteran.

Prof Maloy Kumar Bhoumick said fundamentalists used to harass cultural activists on the campus and now the latter were being gagged by the “so-called progressive” student body leaders.

Prof Azam Shah Santanu, Prof Kamruzzaman, general secretary of Ekatturer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee; Kolpona Roy, vice-president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; and Alamgir Malek, vice-president of Udichi Shilpigosthi, Rajshahi, addressed the programme.Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitree of RU unit, RU Onushilon Natyadal, Rajshahi University Drama Association and Abritti Parishad expressed solidarity with the protest.