Protests continue against assault on activists

Students and teachers of different universities yesterday protested the incident of manhandling of Dhaka University (DU) teacher Fahmidul Haq, and temporary detention of writer and anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed and former student leader Baki Billah.

At DU, students and teachers of the Mass Communication and Journalism department formed a human chain in front of Aparajeyo Bangla around noon.

“The government is curbing our right to speech. Not only this; those who have protested at various times are being attacked,” said Gitiara Nasreen, professor of the department.

“These incidents are happening regularly, and those who are involved should be punished under the law after investigation,” she added.

Masud Al Mahdi, a master's student of the department, said such transgressions often go unpunished, but they have been protesting the incidents nonetheless.

“Only protesting will not work; we have to resist them,” he added.

At Jahangirnagar University, over a hundred students and a number of teachers brought out a procession on the campus that started from social sciences faculty and ended at New Arts and Humanities faculty building, after parading the main streets on the campus.

Under the banner of “Teachers'-Students' Unity Platform”, they also protested the attack and arrest of student leaders of quota reform movement across the country.

Speaking at the programme, Prof Anu Muhammad of Economics department said, “The ongoing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and police attack on quota reformists would not have occurred without concern of the high-command.”

Convener of the platform, Prof Naseem Akhter Hussain of Government and Politics department, warned that they would go for tougher movement if the government does not reform the existing quota system.

Among others, Prof Sayeed Ferdous of Anthropology, Prof Anwarullah Bhuiyan and associate Prof Raihan Rhyne of Philosophy, Prof Abdul Latif Masum of Government and Politics, Associate Prof Anisa Parveen of History departments also spoke at the rally.

On Tuesday, police picked up Rahnuma Ahmed and Baki Billah, and manhandled DU teacher Fahmidul Haq in front of Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, when they along with a group of citizens tried to stage a peaceful protest against attacks on the students demanding quota reform in civil service. The detainees were released later.

Meanwhile, students of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur were compelled to cut short a human chain yesterday, which was being held protesting the BCL attack on quota reformists across the country.

As the students formed a human chain in front of the university's Academic Building 3 around 11:00am, some other students came to the scene, hurled abuses at the protesters and intimidated them, reports our university correspondent.

The protesters alleged that leaders of the quota reform movement were being attacked to foil the movement, and some people were trying to label it as an anti-government movement.

A procession of the university's BCL unit was taking place nearby at the time.

In Narayanganj, police foiled human chain on the same grounds by Gonosonghoti Andolon, which was scheduled to be formed in front of Narayanganj Press Club.

Law enforcers snatched the banner from the protesters, and dispersed them from the place citing that they were observing the programme “hampering public interest”.