JCD units protest ‘Shibir assault’ at Ctg City College

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal units of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University last night protested the alleged attack on JCD men by Shibir activists on Chattogram City College campus

At Dhaka University, Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the ruling party, warned that leaders and activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir will not be allowed to move freely on campuses if incidents like the recent clash at Chattogram City College are repeated.

Several people were injured in separate clashes between the Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at Chattogram City College on Tuesday.

Alleging that Shibir carried out an armed attack on general students, JCD’s central committee called an immediate protest march on the Dhaka University campus around 9:00pm.

During the procession, protesters chanted slogans such as “Jamaat-Shibir, Jamaat-Shibir, secret conspirators” and “Break and crush the dens of Jamaat-Shibir.”

The march ended with a rally at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture.

Addressing the gathering, JCD Central General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir said, “If you try to repeat such attacks on any campus in Bangladesh… If you dare to do so… Not a single JCD activist will allow you to move freely on campuses.”

He alleged that since August 5, Shibir activists have attacked JCD leaders and activists multiple times in Chattogram. “They practice hypocritical and violent politics.

“We will form resistance against violent politics with general students,” he added.

Nasir also criticised Shibir’s past political role and questioned the stance of Jamaat leaders in light of recent political developments.

JCD Dhaka University unit President Ganesh Chandra Roy Sahos alleged that Islami Chhatra Shibir is creating a “negative narrative” and instigating unrest on campuses.

“This is not the government of Dr Muhammad Yunus; this is the government of Tarique Rahman, the statesman who formulated the 31-point agenda,” he said.

The Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit of JCD brought out a protest march on campus around 10:00pm on Tuesday from Rabindranath Tagore hall and marched through key roads of the campus before ending with a brief rally in front of Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall.

Around 150 leaders and activists took part in the programme.

During the march, participants chanted slogans including, “Zia’s soldiers, unite..Unite…”, “There will be no place for clandestine politics in this country”. and “Break and crush the evil practices of Shibir criminals”.

Among those present at the rally were JU JCD Convener Jahir Uddin Mohammad Babor, Member Secretary Wasim Ahmed Anik, and other leaders and activists.

Addressing the gathering, Babor said, “Since the August 5 mass uprising, we have been working tirelessly to ensure tolerant and student-friendly politics on campus. But no one should mistake our patience for weakness. The barbaric attack carried out by Chhatra Shibir at [Chattogram] City College today is highly condemnable.”

He warned that if Islami Chhatra Shibir did not abandon “secretive and violent politics”, JCD would launch a strong movement with general students.

“Any attempt to destabilise the campus will be resisted firmly,” he added.

[Our Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University correspondents contributed to this report.]