Protests on as DU restricts outsiders’ movement

Dhaka University authorities would set up security posts on the campus to restrict outsiders’ movement, said vice-chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman on Tuesday while protests continued against the university authorities’ latest decision and attacks on quota reform activists by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists.
The students of at least nine departments boycotted classes and exams and formed human chain on the DU campus, protesting at attacks on the quota reform activists and demanding punishment of the BCL attackers.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Bar Association leaders on the day demanded the VC’s immediate resignation for calling quota reformists’ student extremists.
The SCBA leaders also demanded exemplary punishment of those who tortured the agitating quota reform activists and students demanding publication of official gazette reforming quota system as prime minister Sheikh Hasina pledged in parliament.
They demanded formation of a three-member committee, led a Supreme Court judge, to probe the attacks on the students.
SCBA president Zainul
Abedin said that the VC scandalised the university terming quota reformists as extremists.
The decision of imposing restrictions on movement of ‘outsiders’ on the campus came at a provost committee meeting of the university on Monday amid protests against the attacks on quota reform activists by ruling Awami League-backed BCL activists. 
‘We don’t want the campus atmosphere of the university destroyed by the presence of “outsiders,” said Akhtaruzzaman.
The university authorities are planning to set up some security posts on the campus to resist the entrance of intruders, he said while talking to reporters on Tuesday.
‘We just want to ensure a secure campus for the students’, he said.
Politburo of Workers Party of Bangladesh at a statement termed DU restriction unfortunate and against the idea of a university.
They hoped that such restriction would be scrapped immediately.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh protested at the decision of restriction and setting up security posts.
SPB general secretary Khalequzzman in a statement said that military dictator HM Ershad tried to set up security post and created campus police but failed to do so in the face of protests.
Ten students of departments including sociology, communication disorder, Bangla, Arabic, microbiology, law, banking and insurance, marketing and accounting and information system also announced that their class and exam boycott could continue for indefinite period if the BCL attackers were not punished.
Students of sociology department observed boycott of classes and exams protesting at attack and for release of their fellow Moshiur Rahman, a quota reform activist and a second year student of the department.
Moshiur, also co-convener of quota reform movement, missing from July 2 and later spotted in Keraniganj jail, was shown arrested on July 4 by the police during quota reform movement.
Demanding the release of quota reform activist and banking and insurance department student Rashed Khan, students of the department also observed boycott of classes and exams.
Bangla department students also formed a human chain at the foot of Aparajaya Bangla and protested attacks on their fellow student Masud Rana by BCL activists on July 2 in Central Shaheed Minar in the capital.
Form the human chain, the students also announced the boycott of all classes and exams in Honors and Master’s programmes until the attackers were punishment.
Speaking at a news conference in the capital, SCBA leaders asked the law enforcers to stop arrest, harass and remand the quota reformists in false cases.
They said that SCBA would provide free legal aid service for the detained quota reformists.
SCBA’s secretary Mahbub Uddin Khokon said that the VC must have to prove his allegation that the quota reformists were involved in extremism.
Zainul Abedin criticised the VC for calling agitating quota reformists as extremists when everybody recognised the ongoing students’ movement to reform the quota system in the government job as logical.
Zainul said that the decision of prohibiting outsiders’ entrance in the university compound was the ‘VC’s autocracy’. 
‘The VC cannot do this as everybody has the rights to enter into the university,’ he said.
Civil society organisation Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik condemned the statements of DU and Rajshahi University VCs as they branded the quota reform activists as ‘extremists’ and ‘Shibir’.
Little magazine Lamppost also condemned the DU authorities’ decision to restrict outsiders’ entrance at DU.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net