QUOTA REFORM MOVEMENT Case withdrawal, punishment of BCL attackers demanded

Teachers in different public and private universities as well as leftist student leaders staged demonstrations on Dhaka University and other public university campuses on Sunday demanding immediate withdrawal of ‘false’ cases against activists campaigning for ‘logical reform of the quota system’ in government jobs. 
In separate rallies, the teachers and the student leaders also called upon the government to arrange medical treatment for the students injured in attacks by activists of ruling party
Chhatra League on DU, Rajshahi University and Jagannath University campuses.
They also demanded to bring all the BCL attackers to book and also to bring normalcy back on the campuses by issuing a gazette notification related to quota reform and to stop sexual harassment of female demonstrators physically and online. 
Despite wide condemnations of BCL attacks, its JnU unit activists attacked leaders of Progressive Students’ Alliance on the campus, leaving 10 injured, including four campus-based correspondents, when they were staging demonstrations.
Two activists of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front also came under attacks allegedly by BCL activists on Chittagong University campus.
Hours after a rally of university teachers, a metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka on Sunday remanded Rashed Khan, joint convener of Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, for 10 days in two cases filed with Shahbagh police.
Shipping minister Shajahan Khan, meanwhile, in a Dhaka event on the day branded the quota reformist leaders and activists as ‘anti-Liberation War elements’ while Dhaka University vice-chancellor M Akhtaruzzaman found similarity between the protesters and extremist outfits like Al-Qaeda and Taliban.
But several dozen teachers in public and private universities who staged demonstrations on Dhaka University campus said that the reform of quota system was a logical demand. 
‘Whenever students are mobilising, they are being tainted as anti-Liberation War elements or they are being branded as supporters of BNP and [Islami Chhatra] Shibir. Bangladesh is actually experiencing fascism,’ said Akmal Hossain, a retired international relations professor at DU, while addressing a rally organised by DU teachers under the banner of Teachers against Repressions at the Central Shaheed Minar. 
DU professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury said that the incidents that had taken place over recent protests were ‘shocking, shameful and unbelievable’.
He said that such incidents were rare even during the colonial regimes of Britain and Pakistan.
The professor emeritus said that instead of arresting the perpetrators, the injured students were being arrested and remanded in custody. ‘We know what kind of torture is carried out during remand [in custody].’ 
He also wanted inquiries on forcibly releasing injured students from hospitals by their managements. 
DU law professor Asif Nazrul said that serious crimes were committed against students and demanded withdrawal of all ‘false’ cases. 
Azfar Hussain, an associate professor at Grand Valley State University in the USA, criticised the role of DU teachers and said that he had spoken to many teachers before coming to the rally and found a section of teachers were unwilling to join them.
‘They will not come as they are disciples of the government,’ he said adding that another group was unwilling as they were frightened. 
The teachers marched from DU central library to Central Shaheed Minar and then held the protest rally there.
They demanded punishments for all attackers on protesters in educational institutions, withdrawal of ‘false’ cases filed against the victim protesters, bearing all medical expenses of the injured protesters by the government, and exemplary punishments for those who physically and virtually assaulted women protesters.
They also urged the authorities to bring an end the string of assaults and repressions on students and teachers. 
Progressive Students’ Alliance, meanwhile, submitted a memorandum to DU vice-chancellor M Akhtaruzzaman seeking punishments for the attackers.
The alliance demanded the university authorities to create a democratic environment on the campus and take legal steps to release arrested DU students.
On the day, Dhaka additional chief metropolitan magistrate Asaduzzaman Nur remanded quota reformist leader Rashed Khan in response to separate applications from the detective branch of police. 
On July 1, detectives arrested Rashed from Bhasantek in the city after a BCL leader filed the case with Shahbagh police under the information and communication technology act. He was put on a five-day remand a day later. 
Police also showed Rashed arrested in another case filed over vandalising the house of DU vice-chancellor Akhtaruzzaman on April 8.
The vice-chancellor in his office on Sunday said that they were not aware of how many students were arrested, remanded or injured in recent times. ‘None was arrested from the campus… We will not take responsibilities of any adult person.’ 
A number of leaders of Progressive Students’ Alliance at DU said that in a closed-door meeting with them, Akhtaruzzaman had threatened of more cases against them. 
New Age correspondent at JnU reported that the injured student leaders and campus-based reporters of different media outlets were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after over a dozen BCL activists swooped on them around 12:30pm.
When approached, BCL JnU unit general secretary Md Joynul Abedin Rasel told New Age that they would take action if any of their activists was found involved.
JnU vice-chancellor Mijanur Rahman said that the authorities got a written complaint in the regard and ‘steps will be taken after investigation’.
New Age correspondent at Jahangirnagar University reported that female students of the university staged demonstrations on the day demanding release of quota reformist leaders.
Around 50 female students, led by Sharmin Akter Sathi, joint convener of JU unit Bangladesh General Students’ Rights Protection Council, brought out a procession around 5:00pm on the campus.
Progressive Students’ Alliance also brought out a procession on the campus demanding the same and they also submitted a memorandum to vice-chancellor Farzana Islam.
New Age correspondent at RU reported that Tariqul Islam Tareq, a quota reformist leader who was severely beaten by BCL leaders and activists on June 2, was transferred to Dhaka for better treatment as his condition deteriorated on Sunday.
Tariqul, a graduate student of RU Islamic studies department, was discharged from a state-run hospital with two bones of his right leg broken, eight stitches on his head and bruises all over the body on Wednesday despite repeated requests of her friends and relatives. 

News Courtesy:www.newagebd.net