A group of leaders of the Student Against Discrimination that led the July-August mass uprising on Wednesday launched a new student organisation, the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, amid protests and scuffles at the launching venue in Dhaka.
The scuffles left at least six students injured.
The scuffles occurred during the announcement of the new organisation at Madhu鈥檚 Canteen on Dhaka University campus.
A group of about 100 students who were excluded from the committee protested against the exclusion of the names of them and their representatives from the committee.
Abu Baker Majumder was made the convener and Zahid Ahsan was made the member secretary of the six-member central convening committee of the BGCS.
Only one female was included in the committee.
Of the six-member committee, five are from Dhaka University and one is from Jahangirnagar University.
Besides the central committee, a six-member Dhaka University committee was also announced in the event.
Though a press conference was scheduled to be held at 3:00pm at Madhu鈥檚 Canteen, a faction of students began protests at the venue alleging that students of private universities who actively participated in the mass uprising and their representatives were excluded from the committee.
Mayeda Iqbal Sharmi, a student of North South University, said that they would not accept any DU-based committee.
鈥榃e want the inclusion of private university students and their representatives,鈥� he, on behalf of the private university students, said.
The scuffles took place after 4:00pm when a group of the leaders of the Students Against Discrimination arrived there and announced the names of the committee members amid chaos.
The chaos continued when they marched towards the Mall Chattar after the brief announcement. They again locked in scuffles there.
One of the protesters, Shahjadi Fananna Kotha, claimed that over six students were injured during the scuffles.
She, however, could not confirm the names of the injured students.
鈥楾hey (DU-based leaders and activists) have beaten female students of private universities. They have forgotten our role in the uprising,鈥� she said.
Denying the attack, DU unit of BGCS chief organiser Hasib Al Islam claimed that the organisation would take steps if anyone found involved in the attack.
He said that the new organisation had been formed with the slogan 鈥楨ducation, Unity, Freedom鈥� to uphold the spirit of the July-August mass uprising.
Besides Abu Baker Majumder and Zahid Ahsan, four other members of the central convening committee are Touhid Mohammad Siam (senior joint convener), Rifat Rashid (senior joint member secretary), Tahmid Al Muddassir Chowdhury (principal organizer) and Ashrefah Khatun (spokesperson).
The DU unit of the student organisation comprises Abdul Quader as the convener, Mohir Alam as the member secretary, Limon Mahmud Hasan as the senior joint convener, Al Amin Sarkar as the senior joint member secretary, Hasib Al Islam as the chief organiser, and Rafia Rehnuma Hridi as the spokesperson.
The new student organisation was launched ahead of the launching of a new political party of the students who led the July-August mass uprising. The scheduled date for flouting the new party is February 28.
