#Title

A milestone towards attaining secularism
Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad on students’ demonstrations for polls deferment
Staff Correspondent
Following Election Commission’s announcement to change Dhaka city polls’ date to February 1, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad in a press release welcomed the decision, and said further demonstrations will be discontinued.
In the press release, the Parishad’s general secretary Rana Dasgupta said, “The students’ protest to defer the date of the polls will be a milestone for establishing the secular nation that Bangabandhu dreamed of.”
Earlier in the day, the platform had announced that minority communities across the country will begin a week-long demonstration from tomorrow, including an hour-long road blockade on January 25, demanding deferral of Dhaka north and south city corporation elections, which were scheduled for January 30, coinciding with Saraswati Puja.
“We will start our countrywide demonstration through human chains and protest rallies on January 20,” Rana Dasgupta had announced at a press conference at the platform’s office at Paltan Tower in the capital yesterday.
The National Committee to Coordinate Religious-Ethnic Minority communities collaborated with the minorities’ platform for the press conference.
The government can still change the schedule of elections on any other day instead of the puja day if it wishes well, Rana said.
On the EC’s explanation for observing puja on the Election Day, Dasgupta said the Saraswati Puja is especially celebrated by students in all schools, colleges and universities amid much festivity.
Students call off hunger strike
Star Report
Students of Dhaka University ended their hunger strike yesterday as the Election Commission deferred the date of Dhaka north and south city corporation elections to February 1.
They brought out a procession on the campus celebrating the occasion and thanked the EC for its decision, reports our DU correspondent.
The demonstrators had started the hunger strike on Thursday, demanding rescheduling of the polls which coincided with Saraswati Puja on January 30.
On the last day of their event held at the base of Raju memorial sculpture, three DU students fell sick. With them, a total of 13 students faced similar fate while observing the hunger strike.
Jagannath Hall Union Vice-President Utpal Biswas said one of the three students were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) while the rest were given first aid.
Of them, a student named Ovi Das Pritom was taken to DMCH around 11:30am yesterday.
The other two -- Tanvir Hasan Saikat, member of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu), and Dipto Saha, joint secretary of DU unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League -- were administered intravenous saline in the morning.
“Most of the students, who had been observing the strike since the beginning, fell sick. They should be taken to hospitals,” Utpal told The Daily Star.
Earlier students had said until the EC deferred the polls date, they would not take treatment.
Arnab Hore, who fell sick during the strike, had said, “If needed, the strike will continue till the day of the polls.”
Five DU teachers -- Jagannath Hall provost Prof Mihir Lal Saha, Gobinda Mandal of law department, Nepal Chandra Roy of mathematics department, Dr Mukul Kumar Baroi of sculpture department, and Prof AKM Jamal Uddin of sociology department -- had visited the protesters and expressed solidarity with them.
On Friday, a total of 10 students, including Jagannath Hall union General Secretary Kajal Das, Social Welfare Secretary Pradip Das, and general students Apurbo Chakrabarty and Arka Saha fell sick.
SEE PAGE 4 col 6
SEE PAGE 4 col 3