Vested quarter out to distract students from movement: Duta

A vested quarter is trying to distract students from their logical movement for quota system reform, said Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) at a press conference at DU Club yesterday.

“Duta showed its solidarity with the demonstrators through a press release on April 11. The platform also urged law enforcers not to take action against them and demanded their safety,” said Prof Muhammad Samad while reading out a statement.

“But a vested quarter is trying to intrude into the demonstration by... spreading rumours to gain political interest,” he added.

Duta members said the group had spread rumour of death of an agitator. On April 10 night, it propagated that a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader cut tendon of a student of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall. But, a probe found it to be wrong.

The teachers said the hall authorities identified four students of the hall who spread rumour during April 10 incident and handed three students over to their guardians following discussions with them.

But, a group spread that the students were evicted at midnight, they added.

Meanwhile, Pragatisheel Chhatra Jote, an alliance of left leaning student organisations, alleged that the university authorities took decisions on the April 10 incident without due procedures.

At a press conference at Madhur Canteen, the alliance placed a seven-point demand including reformation of the quota system instead of abolishment.