Jatiya Oikya Mancha Convenor Dr Kamal Hossain and Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) Chairman Badruddoza Chowdhury accused the government of creating anarchy on the Dhaka University campus through unleashing police and a pro-government student organisation.

Addressing a joint press conference at the National Press Club yesterday, they urged the Jatiya Sangsad to take a unanimous resolution in the coming session to drive out non-students and armed cadres from all the educational institutions of the country.

They called upon the countrymen to observe a 'violence and arms free campus day' on June 8, marking the death of Sabikun Nahar Sony, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology who was killed in a crossfire between two factions of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal armed cadres in 2002.

"I accuse the government of damaging the image of the country through creating unrest at Dhaka University," said Dr Kamal.

"If this is the situation of the country's premier seat of learning, then how would the state function?" Badruddoza Chowdhury said, adding that pro-government student organisations have established a "reign of terror" in the educational institutions.

Kamal said there should be a proper investigation to find out the facts regarding the alleged involvement of four teachers in the attack on general students.

"It is very unfortunate for the country that general students in the public universities are now hostages to a handful of criminals," he said, adding, "It is a shame that the law enforcement agencies charged batons on general students entering into the classroom."

He also alleged that the government is either bypassing or violating the country's constitution while running state affairs.

"Confrontational politics have not only created a sense of insecurity among countrymen, but pose a grave threat to the proper functioning of our educational institutions," Dr. Kamal said.

Asked why he did not take any initiative to drive out armed criminals from public universities when he was the president, B Chowdhury replied that he had some constitutional limitations as the president.

In a joint statement, the two leaders alleged that the law enforcement agencies acted as silent spectators and in some cases as accomplices of the criminals who unleashed violence on innocent students and teachers.

They also demanded that university authorities and teachers be totally 'non-partisan' and that their appointments and promotions be freed from all sorts of political interventions.

The two leaders appealed to the public to come forward for creating awareness among people to root out violence and ill politics from all the educational institutions of the country.

Oikya Mancha leader Abdur Rauf read out a written statement in the press conference, where Gono Forum General Secretary Saifuddin Ahmed Manik was also present.