Attacks on publishers: Protests continue at DU

Dhaka University teachers and students along with people from different walks of life today continued their demonstrations on Dhaka University campus protesting the recent attacks on publishers and bloggers that killed one and injured three others.

DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) formed a human chain between 11:00am and 12noon in front of Aparajeyo Bangla, reports our DU correspondent.

Nearly 200 teachers from different faculties attended the protest and demanded immediate trial of the attackers.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of four leftist student organisations -- Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Biplabi Chhatra Moitri and Chhatra Oikya -- burnt the effigy of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at a rally in front of the Central Library this noon.

Frustrated over the failure to arrest any attackers of the publishers and bloggers, the students criticised Kamal and demanded immediate trial of the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, teachers, students and citizens under the banner of Shikkhok, Shikkherthi, Lekhok O Nagorik Brindo rallied at the Aparajeyo Bangla later in the day.

Students from the DU economics department took out a coffin procession on the campus.

On Saturday, unknown assailants hacked Faisal Arefin Dipan of Jagriti Prokashani to death and critically injured Shuddhoswar's Ahmedur Rashid Tutul and bloggers Tareque Rahim and Ranadipam Basu.

Dipan and Tutul were publishers of slain secularist writer-blogger Avijit Roy who was also hacked to death near the TSC at Dhaka University on February 26.

Soon after the attacks, a group identifying itself as “Ansar Al Islam (AQIS) Bangladesh,” claimed responsibility for the twin incidents through an email sent to different media outlets.