Protests at Rajshahi University over attack on journalists
Teachers, students and former campus journalists of Rajshahi University (RU) today protested last night’s attack on journalists and students on the campus, demanding an independent investigation and action against those responsible.
Boycotting classes, more than a hundred teachers and students of the university’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department joined a human chain in front of the department around 11:30am.
Speaking at the programme, Associate Professor Kazi Mamun Haider said, “We tried to initiate a new Bangladesh through a mass movement. But afterwards, major attacks came against the media. Instead of reforming the media, attempts were made to take control of it. The process of destroying the media has begun,” he said.
Referring to yesterday’s incident, he said, “If you watch the video, you will understand that they were beaten without any reason. There was no reason to beat them. Journalists will perform their duties. They went there to perform their duties and were brutally beaten.”
He questioned the role of the university administration and said the situation could have serious consequences if not addressed immediately.
Prof Mozammel Hossain Bokul, chairman of the department, said the injured journalists were students of the department and had been carrying out their professional duties.
“Our students are bloodied today. They went there to perform their professional duties. The way they were attacked with locally made weapons and the way they were held by the throat is never acceptable,” he said.
“An attack on the media indicates something very serious. If the media is attacked in a safe place like a campus in this manner, it creates a highly undesirable situation,” he said.
He demanded that the administration take action, identify those responsible, cancel their certificates and arrest them.
Prof Mashihur Rahman said the attackers’ faces and words, as seen in videos of the incident, showed that it could not have been an accidental attack.
“Journalists were targeted and beaten. This cannot remain an attack on individuals. It is an attack on information, the media, free thought and freedom of expression,” he said.
Prof A Al Mamun and Prof Naziat Hossain Choudhury also spoke at the human chain.
Meanwhile, 112 former campus journalists also condemned the attack and demanded an independent investigation, legal action and permanent expulsion from Chhatra Dal for those whose involvement is proven.
In a joint statement, they said a political organisation’s internal investigation could not replace an independent legal investigation into alleged criminal offences. They also demanded punishment under university rules and said those found responsible should be prosecuted.
The former journalists said the attack interfered with news gathering, freedom of expression and independent campus journalism. They also accused university officials present during the attack of failing to restrain armed activists and protect journalists.
They rejected temporary organisational punishment, citing instances of punishments being withdrawn and activists being reinstated.
The university proctor acknowledged the failure to control the situation, while Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Alim said those involved would be brought under the law.
The signatories include 96 former campus journalists from 14 public universities, six from three private universities and 10 from three colleges.
The public universities are Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Jagannath, Jahangirnagar, Cumilla, Islamic and Barishal universities; Bangladesh Agricultural University, Sylhet Agricultural University and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; and Noakhali Science and Technology University, Gopalganj Science and Technology University, and Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The private universities are Gono Bishwabidyalay, Stamford University Bangladesh and Dhaka International University. The colleges are Rajshahi College, Dhaka College and MC College.
The former journalists also demanded justice over the April 23 attack on Dhaka University Journalists’ Association members at Shahbagh Police Station and condemned vandalism of the journalists’ association office at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University.
The protests came hours after at least 10 people, including four journalists, were injured when leaders and activists of the university unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal attacked journalists and students with locally made weapons in front of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall around 8:30pm on Sunday.
The injured journalists are The Daily Star’s RU correspondent Nur Ahsan Mridul, who is also president of Rajshahi University Reporters Unity; Zahidul Islam of Agamir Shomoy; Arifuzzaman Korban of bdnews24.com; and Mainul Islam Raju of Samakal.
At around 1:30am today, journalists and students protesting the attack confined RU Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof Dr Mamunur Rashid and other university officials inside the hall provost’s office, demanding that the administration file a case against the accused and ensure their arrest by noon.
Prof Mamunur assured them that the hall administration would file a case today and that the university would take steps regarding their other demands in phases.
The protesters also demanded cancellation of the studentship of accused students still enrolled at the university and cancellation of the certificates of those who have completed their studies. They also demanded a ban on non-students entering the campus and resignation of the university proctor and hall provost, alleging that they failed to ensure the journalists’ security during the attack.
The JCD formed a two-member committee, headed by its central vice-presidents ABM Ijazul Kabir Ruel and Manjurul Alam Riad, to investigate the incident and submit a report within 24 hours.
RU JCD Vice-President Ahsan Habib, one of the accused, denied attacking any “neutral journalist” in a Facebook post.
He claimed that the journalists present when JCD leaders and activists went to the hall to apprehend Ariful, the hall’s GS and a former Chhatra League leader who had allegedly made derogatory remarks about the prime minister, were “undercover Shibir activists” who had come to attack JCD leaders and activists. He said they were “merely resisted”.
Our Rajshahi correspondent contributed to this report.
Comments