Amid the growing condemnation triggered by a recent attack on a national minority students’ demonstration, pressing for the re-inclusion of the word ‘Adivasi’ in the textbooks, at least seven individuals were injured again on Thursday when the police swooped on a protest rally tied to the issue in the capital.
Different political parties and rights organisations expressed solidarity with the national minority students who came under attack on Wednesday, denunciating the incident.
Protest rallies were held at different places in the country against the Wednesday’s violent attack.
Condemning the attack on ethnic minority students, the interim government ordered an investigation.
Two people have been arrested in this regard on Wednesday night.
The protesting national minority students called for a solidarity rally on the Central Shaheed Minar premises in Dhaka city on January 18, demanding restoration of the word Adivasi in the textbooks and their constitutional recognition.ÌýÌýÌý
More than a dozen, mostly students under the banner of Sangkhubdhho Adivasi Chhatra-Janata were injured in two attacks by Students for Sovereignty, an organisation claimed to be of Dhaka University students, in front of the NCTB Bhaban in the capital on Wednesday in police presence.
Recently the National Curriculum and Textbook Board removed a graffiti carrying the word Adivasi from the back cover of the Bangla grammar book for the Classes of IX and X, following demand from the sovereignty group.
DU unit of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Thursday held demonstrations protesting at the Thursday police attack.
Expressing solidarity with the national minority students, the leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Socialist Student Front, Biplabi Chhatra Maitree, Maobadi Chhatra Sangathan, Biplabi Chhatra Juba Andolan, Students’ Federation of Bangladesh, Greater Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Parbatya Chattagram Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Adivasi Chhatra-Sangram Parishad, and Democratic Students’ Council were present at different protest demonstrations on the day.
Ganosamhati Andolan, Bangladeshi Adivasi Forum, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Jatiya Ganatantrik Front, Ganatantrik Chhatra Jot, United People’s Democratic Front, Institute of Informatics and Development, Youth for Policy, and DU unit Islami Chhatra Shibir condemned the attack, demanding justice in separate press releases.
In a statement issued on Thursday by women and children affairs adviser Sharmin M Murshid also condemned the attack on the national minority students.Ìý
In a joint statement, 46 representatives of civil society, including Sultana Kamal, Khushi Kabir, Iftekharuzzaman, Rasheda K Choudhury, Meghna Guhathakurta, advocate ZI Khan Panna, Shahidul Alam, Taslima Islam, Sanjeeb Drong and Shamsul Huda condemned the attack on the ethnic minority students, demanding justice.ÌýÌý
On Thursday, the protesters under the banner of Sangkhubdhho Chhatra-Janata started a rally from the Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus at around 12:00 noon towards the home ministry pressing for arrest and trial of those who attacked the minority students.
The police, however, started using water spray on the protesters at about 12:54pm as they attempted to remove the barricades put by the law enforcers near the Shikkha Bhaban.
The police then chased them up to Curzon Hall, wielding batons and throwing at least two sound grenades, forcing the protesters to clear the area by about 1:30pm.Ìý
Socialist Student Front’s Dhaka University unit organising secretary Muzammel Haque said in the afternoon that at least seven protesters, including Jagannath University student leader Ivan Tahseeb, private university student leader Maruf Hasan, and Eden Mohila College student leader Sumaiya Akter were injured and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Online portal Bangla Tribune journalist Sazzad Hossain was also injured while covering the event.
Alik Mree, one of the organisers of the aggrieved Adivasi group present at the rally, alleged that the police, despite unprovoked, launched their attack on them.
Ramna division deputy police commissioner Md Masud Alam claimed that they had only dispersed the protesters.
Dhaka University mass communications and journalism teachers, including professor Robaet Ferdous, associate professors Sabrina Sultana Choudhury, Md Saiful Alam Chowdury, Kajalie Shehreen Islam, and Md Khorshed Alam, and students held a protest rally on the campus at about 3:00pm, demanding compensations for the treatment of the injured national minority students and exemplary punishment of the attackers.
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Sangkhubdhho Adivasi Chhatra-Janata held a protest rally also at Dhaka University and brought out a procession in the afternoon where Alik Mree iterated their demand for re-inclusion of the word Adivasi in the textbooks and their land rights.
‘We will hold a solidarity rally at the Central Shaheed Minar on January 18 at 3:00pm where politicians, academicians and others will join,’ he said and added that due to medical admission tests they cancelled their prescheduled programme to lay siege to the official residence of the chief adviser today.
The organisation also held protest rallies in different districts, including Khagrachari, Rangamati, Bandarban, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Tangail, Moulvibazar and Gaibandha.Ìý
Ganesh Chandra Roy Shahos, president of Dhaka University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, at a protest rally held on the campus on Thursday condemned the role of the police in the incidents.
Democratic Students’ Council also held a protest rally on the university’s campus, condemning the attack by the police.
Leaders and activists of leftist student organisations marched to the university proctor office, condemning the police attack. Among those present were Socialist Students’ Front president Salman Siddiqui, Chhatra Union university unit president Maeen Ahmed, and Chhatra Union president Rageeb Nayeem.
Jagannath University students also held a torch procession on the university campus on Thursday night.
In a press release Students Against Discrimination alleged that the Wednesday attack involved Jatiya Nagorik Committee Dhanmondi thana member Shahadat Farazi Sakib, urging the committee to take action.Ìý
Nagorik Committee served a show cause notice to Shahadat with a 24-hour ultimatum, asking him to explain his attending the press conference of Students For Sovereignty.Ìý
Ganatantrik Odhikar Committee is scheduled to hold a protest rally at Shahbagh today.
