Faiz meets DU teachers in jail

Students of Dhaka University stage a sit-in on a road near Doyel Chattar on the campus, demanding release of their arrested teachers and a student, left, and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz coming out of the Dhaka Central Jail after meeting with the four detained teachers yesterdayPhoto: STAR

The government will release the teachers and students charged in two cases for breaching the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) 2007 upon completion of "legal process", said Prof SMA Faiz, vice chancellor (VC) of Dhaka University (DU).
In the meantime, Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman yesterday said detained teachers and students of DU will be released within the next few days.
The students of DU, however, issued a five-day ultimatum to the government yesterday to release the detained students and teachers. They also announced that they would launch tougher programmes if their demands were not met.
Following a meeting with Chief Adviser (CA) Fakhruddin Ahmed and Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed, VC Faiz said at a news briefing at his office yesterday afternoon, "The government has decided to release the detainees of the cases. There is no hesitancy in the government in this regard. They will be freed as soon as the ongoing legal procedure is over."
The meeting was also attended by education adviser, foreign adviser, LGRD adviser, law adviser, principal secretary to the CA, press secretary to the CA and the chiefs of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and National Security Intelligence.
Though the VC during the briefing did not clarify what the "legal procedure" meant, he said he was positive that the detainees would be proven innocent at the court of law. "If not, the teachers will be freed soon after the completion of the legal procedure."
The VC however could not mention any tentative timeframe of their release.
Asked about the two other cases filed for torching an army vehicle during the August violence last year, Faiz said he had placed the matter to the government with due importance. He however refused to comment over the government's reaction in this regard.
Fifteen students and four teachers of DU were charged in two separate cases for breaching the EPR on and around the campus in August last year. Among them, four teachers and one student are currently in jail custody.
Names of seven other detained students have recently been included in the charge sheet of one of the cases filed for torching the army vehicle. Charge sheet of the second case filed for the same incident is yet to be pressed.
Prof Faiz said, "We are optimistic about the positive result in these two cases and the teachers and students will come back to campus."
Following the press briefing, Prof Faiz went to visit the detained teachers at Dhaka Central Jail, sources said.
Later in the evening, VC Faiz in a meeting informed the DU Syndicate of the government decision. The syndicate welcomed the decision and urged the government to expedite the legal process. It also asked the students to maintain a congenial atmosphere on the campus.
Earlier on December 9, the government, amid demonstration of teachers and students of DU, assured to release all the detained teachers and students within two weeks. The teachers and students were not released even after the deadline of the assurance ended on December 23.
The next day, a government deal brokered by VC Faiz failed as the family members of the detained teachers refused to file a writ petition with the high court seeking bail of the detainees. They also refused to seek mercy from the president as part of the deal.
STUDENT PROTEST
Students Against Repression (SAR) -- a platform formed mainly by left leaning student organisations, yesterday set a five-day ultimatum to the government for the release all detainees.
The platform continued its demonstrations yesterday on the campus through class boycotts, street graffiti, rally, silent procession and cultural programme.
At a rally in front of Arts Building in the afternoon, the leaders of SAR announced a two-hour class boycott programme from 11:00am to 1:00pm every day until January 17. SAR would also form human chains on the campuses of all universities including that of DU during the period.
Starting today, SAR will begin collecting signatures of students who express solidarity with their demands. It will organise a solidarity rally on the DU campus tomorrow encouraging teachers, students and their guardians to support the cause.
The SAR leaders said the government would be responsible for any unpleasant situation on the campus if the detained teachers and students were not freed by January 18.
The teachers who expressed their solidarity with SAR at the rally are Prof MM Akash, Prof Mezbah Kamal, Prof Monawar Uddin, Prof Anwar Hossein, Prof Muhammed Samad, Prof Akmal Hossein.
SAR Carzon hall unit staged a cultural programme in front of Applied Physic Department demanding the release of the detainees.
No classes were held in Arts Building and Curzon Hall after the two-hours class boycott programme was over. A few numbers of classes were held at Business Studies Faculty.
Earlier, a group of journalists under the banner of Journalists for Human Rights and Justice formed a human chain in front of Aparajeyo Bangla demanding the withdrawal of DU correspondent of the daily Banglabazar Potrika Golam Azam Khomenee's name from the charge sheet of a case filed for torching an army car at Shahbagh intersection during the August violence.
They said Khomenee was not involved in the torching in any way as he was beaten by police on the night of August 20 while he was on professional duty.
SCBA, OTHERS MAKE STATEMENTS
Various organisations including Bangladesh Chhatra Union and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation yesterday demanded immediate release of all the detained teachers and students of DU and withdrawal of the cases filed against them.
Leaders of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in a joint statement said people of all professions and classes hoped that the caretaker government would resolve the problem positively. They said the government has deepened the problem taking wrong advices from a certain section.
EDUCATION ADVISER
Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman said detained teachers and students of Dhaka University (DU) will be released within the next few days.
"Detained teachers and students of Dhaka University will be released as soon as the legal process ends. We have taken certain measures to end the legal process quickly. Taking depositions of witnesses will end tomorrow. Don't worry, the teachers and students will be freed," he said yesterday while addressing a media briefing in Labaid Hospital in the capital.
He also said the caretaker government has given serious consideration to the matter deciding to solve the problem, especially the release of the detained teachers and students, who were charged in two cases in connection with breaking the Emergency Power Rules 2007.
"We have held an emergency meeting headed by Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed. In the meeting, we unanimously decided that the issue of Dhaka University will be solved within the next few days for restoring peace on the campus," he said at the briefing soon after visiting ailing playwright Selim Al Deen, who is scheduled fly to Bangkok today for better treatment.
Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz and Education Secretary M Mamtazul Islam were also present.