Demo at RU for release of held teachers, students

Students of Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday continued their demonstration on the campus demanding the release of the 10 convicted students and an employee of the university.
They also demanded withdrawal of the case accusing the students and the employee of being involved in violent incidents on the RU campus on August 23.
Hundreds of general students attended their classes wearing black badges and brought out a silent procession at 11:00am from Rabindra Arts Building.
The procession of students marched about the campus before gathering at the grave of martyred RU teacher Prof Dr Shamsuzzoha to observe a one-minute silence in remembrance of his supreme sacrifice for the students in 1969.
In February 1969, Dr Shamsuzzoha, the first martyred intellectual, sacrificed his life to protect the students from the atrocities of the then regime of Ayub Khan.
At the grave the students took an oath to continue their protest until the 10 convicted students and the employee of RU are released.
Calling on the RU authorities to withdraw the case filed on August 23, the students said they would otherwise launch tougher programmes against the university authorities.
The students also demanded immediate release of the detained teachers and the student of Dhaka University.
A huge number of police and intelligence personnel were present on the campus to avert any untoward incident.
In a case filed for torching a DGFI vehicle on RU campus, a Rajshahi court on December 12 last year acquitted two teachers and an official of RU, but sentenced 10 students and an employee of RU to three years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Tk 5,000 each.