DU teachers wear black ribbons today

Remain bold for colleagues' release

8 December 2007, 18:00 PM

DU Correspondent

Despite the education adviser's request to withdraw the demonstration, the Dhaka University (DU) teachers will take classes wearing black ribbons today demanding release of the university teachers and students detained for the August violence on campus. A three-member team from the army met Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz and representatives of the teachers' association yesterday and requested them to call off the programme. Acting president of Dhaka University Teachers Association (Duta) Prof Tazmeri SA Islam, acting general secretary Dr Mamun Ahmed, former Duta president Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, and former Duta general secretary Prof Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman were present at the meeting. Later in the evening, Education Adviser Aiyub Quadri talked to the VC, Prof Tazmeri Islam and Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique. Talking to two TV channels, he urged the Duta to withdraw the programme. Following the developments, the Duta executive committee held an emergency meeting last night. After a heated debate, the teachers decided to go ahead with the plan to wear black badges. “The decision was taken at an urgent general meeting Friday, and now we cannot cancel it without the consent of another general meeting. So the executive committee has decided to continue the programme,” Prof Tazmeri told reporters after the meeting that began at 9:20pm and continued for over one and a half hours. “After today's talks with the education adviser and army officials, we feel the government has a positive attitude towards the release of those detained. The Duta will hold another urgent general meeting at 6:00pm tomorrow [today] to review the situation. That meeting will decide whether to continue the silent protest programme scheduled for Monday,” she added. At the Friday's meeting, the Duta issued an ultimatum to the government to release all detained and convicted DU and Rajshahi University teachers and students by December 12, the day scheduled for court hearing on detained DU teachers and students. They also decided to take classes wearing black badges today and stage a silent protest on the campus tomorrow. This is the second time during the rule of this caretaker government that the DU teachers are wearing black badges. Earlier, they staged a similar protest following the arrests of Awami League President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. On August 20, violence ensued when army personnel beat up three DU students during a football match at the university gymnasium. On the next day, the violence spread across different public universities. Four DU and six RU teachers were arrested following the incidents on August 20-22. The detained DU teachers are--Duta President Prof Sadrul Amin, Duta General Secretary Prof Anwar Hossain, Science Faculty Dean Prof Harun-or-Rashid and Applied Physics Department Chairman Prof Neem Chandra Bhowmik. Among the six RU detained teachers, four were sentenced to two-year rigorous imprisonment last week for violating the emergency power rules 2007. The convicts are Moloy Kumar Bhowmik of management department, and Dulal Chandra Biswas, Sayed Selim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun of mass communications department. Besides, nine DU students were also arrested in connection with the August violence.