Eminent citizens, rights activists condemn attack on Nur

The country’s eminent citizens and rights activists in a joint statement today voiced grave concern over the attack on Ducsu Vice President Nurul Haque Nur and his followers and demanded a fair investigation into the incident.

In the statement, they urged the university authorities to ensure exemplary punishment by taking legal step against the people, who attacked Nur, through a fair investigation.

The signatories include Sultana Kamal, Hamida Hossain, Khushi Kabir, Justice (retd) Nizamul Haque Nasim, Rana Das Gupta, Tobarak Hossain, Ziauddin Tarique Ali, Iftekharuzzaman, Shahin Anam, Zakir Hossain, Z I Khan Panna, Sara Hossain and others put their signatures on the statement.   

They also expressed their grave concern as the university authority has failed to fight the disgraceful atmosphere prevailing on the university campus.

Some leaders and workers of an influential student organisation carried out attacks on Nur and his followers around 1:00 pm yesterday, leaving Nur and around 24 students of Sadharan Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad injured which was reported on different newspapers, the statement said.

After being beaten by them for sometimes, Tuhin Farabi, joint convener of the platform, is now being kept on life support at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, it said.

It may be pointed out that Abrar Fahad, a 2nd year student of Electrical and Electric Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, was beaten to death by the students of the same organisation, it read.

The countrymen feel offended following the horrible memories and before forgetting of the memories, another barbaric incident of attack by the very organisation took place, it said.

“We are noticing with grave concern that the incidents of repression and attack are being carried out against the people those who belong to different opinions. The common and marginal level of people are being repressed by the political influentials,” it said.

However, Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina recently announced that such type of cruel incident will not recur any more.

“Ignoring everything, we think, the barbaric incidents now taking place are the outcome of the wounds created in the state and the social management system,” the statement said.

An announcement or some discriminatory steps to stop such incidents are not enough rather ensuring democratic practices and establishing rule of law is imperative, according to the statement.

According to the reports published in different newspapers, the leaders and activists of the influential student organisation attacked Nur and his followers nine times before and after he was elected as VP of the Ducsu, it said.

Of the attacks, he came under attack for five times on the Dhaka University campus and its adjoining areas but the university administration did not take any visible step against the attackers, the statement said.

The recurrence of the barbaric attack would have been stopped if an appropriate step had been taken, the said.

According to the media reports, the university vice chancellor and proctors’ biased statements over the incident is frustrating and embarrassing and people want to see the instance of responsibility from such important personalities, it added.

DUTA also condemns attack on Nur

Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (Duta) today protested and condemned the attack on Nur.

In a statement, they also demanded to ensure proper treatment of the injured students and urged Nur to be more responsible in his works or speech.

They held the Muktijuddho Moncho activists responsible for the attack but did not mention Chhatra League activists as the attacker.