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DU teachers, students against 'undignified' release of peers

DU Correspondent
Students and teachers of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday warned that they will not accept any 'undignified' release of their detained peers.
Expressing their concern that there might be a repetition of the controversial incidents that took place at the time of the release of the detained Rajshahi University teachers, they said release of their peers after conviction will not be accepted.
The detained Rajshahi University teachers were freed after conviction by a court followed by a presidential pardon for them, and after their release the govt claimed dial they Ve?n pardoned by the
president following a petition from the convicted teachers' families.
At a news briefing yesterday the DU students, agitating for their peers' and teachers' release, urged the government to drop all charges against the detainees before free-ingthem.
The agitating DU teachers and students said the government yet again is dilly dallying to release their peers even after yet another promise to do so.
There was no sign of government move to release the DU detainees till filing of this report late last night, although the night before Education Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman had said at a media briefing in the capital that the
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detainees will be freed 'within the next few days, whatever the court verdict might be'.
The DU agitators yesterday said the government's promise was not clear enough regarding in winch fashion their detained peers will be freed from jail.
Former president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) Prof AAMS Arefin Siddioue said nobody is feeling assured that the detainees will be freed in a dignified manner any time soon. It seems the incidents of Ra|shalu University’ are about to visit the DU campus, as the government is insisting on freeing the detainees through the legal mechanism . he added.
He said. 'But such repetition ot Rajshahi University incidents might make the situation more complicated and might not be acceptable to all. Rather it will be better if the government withdraws the cases. That will be dignified for the government and the detainees too. leading to easing of the accumulated tension between the government and the university.'
The students however continued their peaceful demonstrations on the campus demanding their peers' and teachers' release by abstaining from classes for two hour yesterday for the fourth day in a row, and by collecting signatures of fellow students, with silent vigils and processions, by drawing street graffiti, and by performing agitprop street theatres.
Hundreds of students articulated their demand for the release of the detainees by writing comments and signing their names on large banners hanging at various places on the campus for the purpose.
They will observe two-hour class abstention from 11:00am to 1:00pm today too. They will also hold a solidarity rally on the campus this morning. Students Against Repression (SAR) announced a two-hour classboycott programme from 11:00am to 1:00pm every day till January 17.
A group of SAR leaders yesterday afternoon met Vice-chancellor Prof SMA Faiz and reiterated their demand for the release of all detainees.
STUDENTS’ NEWS CONFERENCE The agitating DU students at a news briefing yesterday said the education adviser's comment that the detainees will be freed within the next few days, whatever the court verdict might be' is not clear enough.
SAR, a platform formed mainly by left leaning student organisations, said there had been pledges earlier from the government and the university authorities of releasing the detainees, which were not kept.
The agitators also said release of only the detainees in two cases in connection with violating the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) 2007, will not be enough to ease the crisis, rather they demanded release of all detainees in connection with all the four cases filed in connection with the violent incidents on the campus between August 20 and 22 of the last year.
Two cases were filed against 4 teachers and 15 students in connection with violating EPR 2007, two other cases were filed in connection with torching of an army vehicle, in one of the army vehicle torching cases around 22 DU students and a few other outsiders were charged, while the charge sheet in the other case in connection with the same incident has not been submitted yet PROFANWAR'S STATEMENT In a news release last evening
detained Prof Anwar Hossain's son Sanjeeb Hossain said his father in the court earlier in the day categorically protested the education advisers statement made on the night before, and expressed deep apprehension that the incidents of Rajshahi University is about to repeat themselves in Dhaka. Prof Anwar Hossain is the general secre-taryofDuta.
Prof Hossain termed the education adviser's comment as irresponsible. the release said. The release quoted him as asking, why the case against them would not be withdrawn since they did not commit any crime. Pointing at the contradiction embedded in the newly appointed education adviser's statement the night before the detained professor told the court that die adviser is in 'contempt of court' by making such a statement, the release added.
According to the release the professor also said all detainees in connection with the DU incidents must be freed and all cases in connection with the incidents must be withdrawn if normalcy to be restored on the campus.
The government on Sunday decided to release the teachers and students charged in two cases for breaching the EPR 2007 during the violent incidents on the campus 'upon completion of legal process'.
DU VC Prof SMA Faiz yesterday afternoon met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed to discuss the release of his students and colleagues.
RAJSHAHI UNIVERSITY
Meanwhile, students of Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday continued their demonstrations on the campus demanding release of 10 of their peers and a university employee, convicted in connection with torching of a DGFI vehicle there at the time of the DU incidents that ended up spilling over to other university campuses countrywide.
They also demanded withdrawal of the case filed by RU authorities against many other students for their involvement in the violent incidents on the campus on August 23 last year.
Earlier, hundreds of students attended their classes wearing black ribbons, and staged sit-ins in front of Shahidullah Arts Building.
They carried banners and placards demanding withdrawal of the cases and unconditional release of the convicted students and the employee. They also demanded release of the detained DU teachers and students.