A total of 114 eminent citizens in a statement on Tuesday demanded punishment for those involved in the murders of students protesting for quota reform in government jobs and the attacks on them, allegedly carried out by the ruling Awami League-backed student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra League across the country. 聽聽聽
The statement, citing media reports, mentioned that聽 BCL activists attacked protesters, including women, indiscriminately with pistols, rods, sticks and sharp weapons.
The statement said that attacking protesting students, killing several of them and injuring hundreds, was a serious criminal offence under the country鈥檚 existing laws, and attacking injured students again in the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital was equivalent to a crime against humanity.
Demanding exemplary punishments for those involved in the attacks and murders, the statement called for 鈥榯he concerned ministers and Awami League leaders to be brought under the law as the accused of ordering these attacks鈥�.聽
Expressing solidarity with the ongoing quota reform movement, the statement condemned the authorities of the universities and the police for failing to resist the attacks.
The signatories to the statement included economist Debapriya Bhattacharya, New York University professor Dina Siddiqi, environmentalist Syeda Rizwana Hasan, professor Anu Muhammad, photographer Shahidul Alam, rights activist Rani Yan Yan and writer and activist Rahnuma Ahmed.
