Justice for Khadiza now sought abroad
A section of students from North China University of Science and Technology raised their voices to demand justice for Sylhet college student Khadiza Begum Nargis who was brutally hacked by a Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) man.
Under the banner "Student Union: North China University of Science and Technology", the students, mostly Bangladeshis, formed a human chain on Monday on the university campus, where Khadiza's brother is a student.
Holding placards that read "We want justice", "Pray for Khadiza", "It is the time to prevent people like Badrul," the students urged people not to spread rumours about the victim.
The students emailed a statement to some media outlets including this newspaper and said when Khadiza was battling for life, rumours had been spread against her in the social media.
The 23-year-old college student is undergoing treatment at Neuro Intensive Care Unit of the capital's Square Hospital. On October 3, she was hacked multiple times by Badrul Alam, a fourth-year student of economics at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust).
Badrul is also the senior assistant secretary of the Sust unit of BCL. He attacked Khadiza inside MC College where she had gone to sit for an examination. BCL, however, says Badrul has nothing to do with it.
Meanwhile, neurosurgeon AM Rezaus Sattar at Square Hospital, who carried out surgeries on her, said her condition was improving slowly. He said they hope to withdraw her ventilation support within a few days.
The students in the statement said, when Badrul was hacking her [Khadiza], some people were watching the brutality from the distance.
"A whole college got defeated by the brutality of Badrul," said Faisal Mahmud in the statement on the students' behalf. "We know thousands of Badrul are around you and us and could swoop on your sister."
When Khadiza was battling for life, some people like Badrul were spreading rumours against her by uploading pictures of someone else in the social media, he said. In the statement, the students requested all to pray for Khadiza.
PROTEST IN SYLHET
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Manabadhikar Sangbadik Commission organised a different protest programme in front of Sylhet Central Saheed Minar yesterday.
In a symbolic demonstration, the organisation prepared a dummy trash-bin wrapped with Badrul's portrait and words "Use Me" and "Spit Here". People who attended the protests spit on the bins. Khadiza's father Mashuk Miah was present at the protest.