‘No power can sustain through repression’
Today is the Student-Teacher Repression Day at Rajshahi University.
On this day 13 years ago, eight teachers, an official and 10 students of RU were arrested on charges of violence and conspiring against the state, and subsequently tortured.
The incident played a pivotal role in accelerating a democratic movement during tenure of the then caretaker government.
This year, RU authorities could not organise any commemoration programme amid the ongoing coronavirus situation. However, discussions are taking place on social media, where discussants said, "No power can avoid establishing good governance and sustain through repression."
To find out what happened on the day, its context and consequences, The Daily Star talked to Malay Bhowmick, a professor, playwright, and one of the arrested teachers.
The story began in July 2007, when RU teachers went on leave en-masse while students boycotted classes to protest arrest of then former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bhowmick, who joined the Liberation War at age 14, had returned home on December 10, 1971. Coincidentally, he was released from jail on December 10, 2007.
"The caretaker government wanted to extend its power in various ways; Hasina's arrest was part of it. This is why the protest was necessary. But it was difficult amid the ongoing state of emergency," he said.
In August, protests against the attack on students and teachers on the playground of Dhaka University spread to RU.
On August 21, the teachers staged a silent procession on campus. Violence erupted the next day and the day after, amid which a vehicle, belonging to an intelligence agencies, was set on fire. In the early hours of August 24, Prof Abdus Sobhan, then convener of a progressive teachers platform, was arrested. Prof Saidur Rahman Khan was also picked up from his house.
Bhowmick was picked up from his sister's residence in the campus in the afternoon. "As soon as they took me out of the campus, they tied my eyes with black cloth," Bhowmick said.
"We had to endure physical and mental torture that night and the next day. We were electrocuted. The next evening, the three of us were taken to a court, which was set up at night. We faced three charges: taking leave en-masse, holding the silent procession, and conspiring against the state. Nurul Islam Sarkar Aslam was our lawyer. The court granted a 10-day remand against us without really hearing out our lawyer," he added.
Three more teachers of the department of journalism and mass communication were indicted in it: Dulal Chandra Biswas, Salim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun.
A separate case was filed against Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan Sajal and Golam Sabbir Sattar Tapu, both professors of geology and mining department of the university, and a deputy registrar, Sadiqul Islam, along with 10 students. They were accused of burning the vehicle.
He said they were taken to Motihar Police Station from the court where they were kept for three days. From there, they were taken to Dhaka for interrogation. He said they were also tortured during the time.
"Two days later, we were taken back to Rajshahi. Students, teachers, and people were outraged by our arrest," he added.
In a speedy trial, Saidur Rahman and Abdus Sobhan were acquitted, but Bhowmik, Dulal Chandra Biswas, Salim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun were sentenced to two years in prison for bringing out the procession in violation of emergency rules.
However, a mass movement sparked by their arrest put pressure on the government, who started looking for a way to release them. Afterwards, the teachers' families were repeatedly pressured to appeal for their release.
Later, the then president announced a general amnesty and released the four teachers. Others were also released and removed from all charges.
The movement continued accelerating and later, the government was forced to hold general elections.
After the incidents, the RU syndicate declared August 24 the Student-Teacher Repression Day.
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