DU Correspondent

Ducsu Vice-President Nurul Hoque Nur yesterday alleged that Dhaka Medical College Hospital authorities discharged him hurriedly so that he could be arrested in a case filed under the Digital Security Act.

Talking to journalists at DMCH emergency gate, Nur said the case was lodged under the Digital Security Act so that police could keep him in jail for at least two months as most of the sections of the law is “nonbailable”.

The Ducsu VP has three months of his one-year tenure left.

The case was filed against Nur and several others with Dhanmondi Police Station over spreading propaganda and false information against DU Chhatra League leaders through his Facebook page after Nur and his supporters came under attack on December 22.

Expressing dissatisfaction with his treatment at the DMCH, Nur also claimed that he was yet to recover fully and was feeling sicker three days after being admitted to the hospital.

Nur and his three supporters -- Faruk Hasan, Farabi Rahman, and Nazmul Islam -- injured in the December 22 attack were released from the DMCH on Monday night as their condition improved significantly, claimed the hospital authorities.

Talking to The Daily Star, DMCH Director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin said they released Nur and the three others as per suggestions of the 13-member medical board that monitored them.

Asked about Nur’s allegation, he said it was “sad” that Nur was dissatisfied with the treatment.

“Thousands of people are being treated at the hospital. No exception happened in his [Nurul] case. Doctors treated him as long as they thought it was necessary. They [injured] were discharged when they recovered,” he said.

Hasan Al Mamun, convener of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, told this newspaper that Nur and the three others were admitted to a private hospital for better treatment.

But he did not disclose the hospital’s name, citing security reasons.

At the press briefing, Nur alleged that there was a conspiracy to kill him.

“My condition started to deteriorate three days after I was admitted [to DMCH]. It could be a conspiracy to kill me because we always protest against Chhatra League’s wrongdoings.”

Asked about the December 22 attack, he said if justice was not ensured even after the attack, such incidents would happen again.

He said arresting three leaders of Muktijuddho Moncho, which launched the attack, was an “eyewash”.

On December 22, Nur and his men came under attack from a faction of Muktijuddho Moncho, mostly comprised of BCL men, at his office at the Ducsu building.

Nur and at least 26 of his supporters were wounded in the attack. Four of them are still undergoing treatment at the DMCH.

In the case statement filed on 26 December, Arnob Hore, publicity secretary of Dhaka University’s Jagannath Hall BCL, said Nur, Rashed Khan, and some others on December 22-23 spread hate speech against DU BCL leaders and disseminated false and fabricated information intentionally on social media to create chaos and make the law and order worse.

Besides the case under the Digital Security Act, an attempted murder case was filed against Nur and 28 others for their alleged involvement in the December 22 incident.

CONDEMNATION

Twenty-two eminent citizens yesterday condemned harassment of Nur and activists of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad by implicating them in cases.

Soon after the approval of Digital Security Act, concern has been expressed from all sections of people that the law will be used to serve petty political interests and that has been proved through the lodging of the case, the statement read.

The signatories said students were coming under attacks and were being implicated in such cases when they had waged lawful movements.

This type of an evil attempt will have to be stopped immediately to uphold the citizens’ human and constitutional rights, they added.

They also urged the government to ensure proper treatment of the injured with its own funds.

The signatories include Badiul Alam Majumdar, Shahdeen Malik, Prof CR Abrar, Prof Asif Nazrul, Prof Parvin Hasan, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Rehnuma Ahmed, and Shahidul Alam.