Savar correspondent : The protesting students of Jahangirnagar University (JABI) are protesting under the banner of anti-discrimination student movement, demanding the unconditional release of all arrested students, including the coordinator of the quota reform movement. Some teachers of the university have expressed their solidarity.
(July 29) At four o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, they took out a procession from the road adjacent to the central Shahid Minar of the university, went around the important road in the university and again went to the premises of Shahid Minar and completed the rally with a short speech.
They presented their four demands in the meeting. The demands are – (1) Unconditional release of Arif Sohail, a student of Jahangirnagar University and one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, (2) Trial of brutal torture on the central coordinators, (3) Immediate trial of those involved in the killing of students and (4) Cases against ordinary students and Stop mass arrests.
Ahsan Labib, the coordinator of anti-discrimination student movement Jabi branch, said, ‘We started the movement with a logical, fair demand. We wanted the quota to be reformed. The rights of the talented should be ensured. A state based on equality should be established. This movement was not against the government or any party. But later we were brutally attacked by members of Chhatra League, law enforcement agencies. The despotic government under whose orders these have happened will have to answer for it.’
Zahidul Islam, another coordinator of anti-discrimination student movement Jabi branch, said, ‘We have seen that genocide was carried out by shutting down the internet in Kashmir, genocide was carried out in Palestine, the dictatorial government also shut down the internet and carried out genocide in Bangladesh. DB police threatened to call off the movement with coordinators, we rejected it. We want all coordinators to be released first, then we will decide collectively.
A female student of the university said, ‘This dictatorial government has attacked the common students by using its lewd cadre Chhatra League. Wanted to resist with armed forces. This movement is the people’s movement. No despotic ruler can survive in a country where students can stand in front of Ramda of Chhatra League and protest in front of police bullets.
Professor Mohammad Golam Rabbani of the history department said in the gathering, “Students and ordinary people who were agitating for quota reforms across the country have been killed. As a teacher, I want justice for those involved in the murder. I want students to sleep safely, stay safe, return home safely. Let them return to university, return to class.
Teachers of various departments of the university took part in the protest march in solidarity with the students’ movement.
