Teacher-student demo in several univs
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On social media platforms, students, teachers, guardians and people of different ages and walks of life changed their profile pictures to solid red, expressing solidarity with the the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s programme.
Rejecting the government-announced nationwide mourning in remembrance of those killed in the recent unrest, the organisers on Monday urged people to cover their faces with red cloths and upload the photos on their social media.
The online protests went on despite restrictions on several websites, including Facebook. Many users bypassed these restrictions using VPNs (Virtual Private Network).
Under the banner of “Jahangirnagar Against Oppression”, teachers of different departments held a silent march with their mouths covered with red cloths. Students joined the march, expressing solidarity.
The procession began at the university’s Shahid Minar around 12:30pm.
Anwarullah Bhuiyan, a philosophy professor, said, “We can see the full design and implementation of misrule and a dictatorial mentality … When the students took to the streets with their logical demands, the state’s forces attacked them. Now again, the government is arbitrarily arresting the students, jailing and torturing them.”
Towhid Siam, a coordinator of JU student movement, said, “Our protests will continue until our demands are met. We now also demand the unconditional release of Arif Sohail, a coordinator of the JU movement.”
At RU, over 200 teachers, under the banner of “RU Teachers Against Oppression”, demonstrated with the same demands.
Their procession started from the Shaheed Intellectual Memorial at 11:30am and marched through the university roads before a rally at the university’s main gate.
Physics Professor Saleh Hasan Naqib, speaking at the rally, said, “The government has failed to deal with the student movement. The students are still being harassed and tortured. The government has resorted to all kinds of dirty methods, including taking student leaders into DB custody and forcing them to give statements.
“We want an end to such torture and harassment. We want proper investigation into the indiscriminate killings, and fair justice.”
Economics Professor Farid Uddin Khan said, “The government first directed Chhatra League to attack the students who had been demonstrating peacefully. Then, the state used the law enforcement agencies to suppress the students’ movement and shoot them dead on the streets.”
Marketing Professor Faridul Islam, Arabic Professor Iftikharul Alam Masud, and Finance Professor Amzad Hossain also spoke. The teachers announced they would hold a similar programme today at the same place and time.
In Khulna, hundreds of students demonstrated at the Shibbari intersection around 11:30am, protesting the police firing at quota protesters. Blocking the intersection for over three hours, they chanted “Shooting won’t stop the movement” and “One point, one demand, step down Sheikh Hasina.”
Many people joined the students in solidarity.
One of the protesters said, “Bullets bought with our fathers’ tax money are being used against us. The police shot and killed students in the quota reform movement, we demand justice for these killings.”
In Tangail, a group of quota reform protesters wearing red badges brought a procession on the Registrypara Road around noon, but the march was halted by police near the Girls’ School Intersection.
FRESH PROTESTS
Organisers of the quota reform movement yesterday announced a “March For Justice” programme at all educational institutions, court premises and major roads today to press home their nine-point demand.
The announcement was made in a press release, signed by Abdul Hannan Masud, a coordinator of the Anti-Discriminations Student Movement. Copies of the release were sent to media houses around 8:30pm.
Students and people are expected to join the programme around 12:30pm.
Their demands include an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and resignations of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat, and State Minister for Post, Telecommunication and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak.
Some other demands are: dismissal of police high-ups in the districts, including Dhaka, where students were killed by law enforcers; resignation of the vice chancellors and proctors of every university, including DU, Jagannath, JU, RU and CU, where peaceful protesters were attacked by law enforcers; immediate reopening of all educational institutions and halls, and lifting of the curfew and removal of the police, Rab, BGB, Swat and army personnel deployed across the country.
(Our correspondents in Dhaka University, Savar, Tangail, Khulna, and a correspondent from Rajshahi contributed to this report.)