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Literary magazine Agnisetu on Saturday at Dhaka University organised a discussion to address the role of private university students in the July-August student-led mass uprising that forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister and flee to India. 

The DU sociology department associate professor Samina Luthfa said that in order to create a welfare-oriented and civilised state, everyone’s opinions must be given importance.

‘You may not agree with someone’s opinion, but they must have the space to express it. However, we lack this space, and the influence of the Awami League regime’s misrule is strong behind this absence,’ she said.

Mentioning that people had not sacrificed their lives in the movement for taking revenge, she said, ‘We must remember that the martyrs had sacrificed their lives for justice, equal dignity, and the freedom of speech.’

When a fascist regime starts oppressing students, they can no longer hold on, said University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh lecturer Kabya Krittika, mentioning that so she had been counting down the days to the AL’s downfall since the July 18.

She also said that there was a stereotype that private university students, being financially well-off, would not join movements. ‘But this time, they proved it wrong, and this was not the first time.’

The students injured in the July-August movement are living miserable lives, mentioned an injured student Saifuddin.

Speaking of himself, he said, ‘I was injured in my right eye. I used to work as a freelancer, but now I cannot sit and work anymore. There are thousands like me.’

Mohammad Nishad, coordinator of the Students’ Movement Against Discrimination at Daffodil University, said that previously, everyone thought that private university students were not engaged in nation-building or contributing to the country. ‘But this time, they have shown clearly that they, too, can play a role in building the nation.’

Moderated by Maruf Hasan, the discussion was chaired by Nabin Abtahi, editor of Agnisetu, a Private University Students-edited literary magazine.

North South University assistant professor Shahzad Firoz, BRAC University lecturer Shami Suhrid, Agnishetu adviser Pankaj Nath Surjo also spoke at the discussion.