Published : Sunday, 15 July, 2018 at 4:27 PM, Count : 3461
Desk report: The leaders and activists of
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) allegedly assaulted some quota movement
activists and teachers of Dhaka University again on Sunday and foiled
their human chain at the Central Shaheed Minar premises.
The
BCL leaders and activists swooped on them and physically assaulted six
quota protesters and three teachers when they formed a human chain
around 12 noon demanding immediate release of the arrested quota
movement leaders and punishment of attackers, said witnesses. The
three teachers are Professor Fahmidul Haq and Associate Professor Abdur
Razzaque Khan of Mass Communication and Journalism Department and
Associate Professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan of International Relations
Department. Prof Abdur
Razzaque Khan said, “There is no security for both the teachers and the
students on the campus now. General people have no right to stage
protest.” Contacted, BCL
General Secretary SM Jakir Hossain denied involvement of any BCL leaders
and activists in the attack. He claimed it to be a clash between two
groups of quota protesters. General students and teachers of the
university, however, said there is no basis of such claim as there is no
rift among the quota reform activities. In
April, students of public and private universities across the country
waged a strong movement demanding reforms in the quota system in public
service recruitment process. In
the face of the movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in
parliament on April 11 the abolition of all types of quotas in public
jobs. As no gazette
notification has so far been issued regarding the abolishment of the
quota system as per the PM’s declaration, the leaders and activists of
Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council, a platform that
leads the quota reform movement, resumed their protests at different
public universities and they repeatedly came under attacks allegedly by
BCL men. Amid the movement,
the Prime Minister on Thursday in parliament said that it is not
possible to change freedom fighters’ quota in public jobs due to a High
Court verdict.