Different organisations on Thursday demonstrated in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, condemning attacks on and murders of students who participated in the student-led mass uprising in July-August.
They claimed that the students and other people who took part in the uprising were being targeted for ‘secret killing’.
Besides ensuring security of the people, they also demanded that the government take steps to conduct proper investigations into the recent killings and bring the persons involved to book immediately.
The Bangladesh Students’ Union organised a protest programme demanding justice for incidents of killings of and attacks on students in the post-uprising period.
At a rally in front of the Bangladesh National Museum, KM Abdullah Al Nishat, assistant general secretary of the Union’s private university unit, claimed that at least eight students were killed in the past one week.
BSU’s Dhaka University unit vice-president Foyez Ullah said that followers of the ousted Awami League were giving death threats to the active students and people on the social media.
‘We demand proper investigation into the recent killing of students. The persons who are responsible for the killings must be brought to book immediately,’ said Foyez.
Tamzid Haider Chanchol, BSU organising secretary, said that the interim government and law enforcement agencies failed to provide security to the students.
‘We demand explanations: why were they killed?’ asked Chanchol.
The BSU held a protest rally on the Dhaka University campus before the programme.
In the demonstration, they also demanded withdrawal of case and warrant against BSU leaders Amartya Ray and Riddha Anindya, filed for drawing protest graffiti in the Jahangirnagar University and bringing the persons involved to book for obstructing a BSU photography exhibition in Patuakhali.
Newly formed political party Sarbobhoumatta Andalan also organised a rally at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the DU campus, protesting the killings of students.
Farid Ahmed, founding central organiser of the party, said that the killings had a pattern.
‘Students are targeted for secret killing and attack,’ said Farid.
He also demanded proper investigation into the killings and exemplary punishment to the persons involved in the killings.
On Wednesday, private university students organised a protest programme at Rampura in the capital, demanding justice for the killings and ensuring security for people’s life.
Anti-discrimination activist Jasim Uddin was stabbed to death by miscreants in Chattogram city on December 17.
East West University student Tajbir Hossain Shihan died while undergoing treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital on December 14 after being stabbed by muggers in Narayanganj, according to the victim’s family.
According to the police, American International University-Bangladesh student Mohammad Simanto died after he was stabbed by muggers on the Dhaka-Tangail highway on December 12.
Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiya Nagorik Committee in separate statements on Wednesday expressed concerns over the killings and demanded justice.
Students of Jagannath University brought out a procession on their campus premises and held a rally protesting at the secret killings and demanding trial of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ousted Awami League.
They said that leaders of the banned BCL were still creating chaos in the country in various ways and carrying out secret killings.
Inqilab Mancho, an organisation of students from different universities, held a press conference at Madhu’s Canteen on the DU campus protesting at secret killings of the students who were active in the July uprising and denouncing the government’s failure to provide security for the uprising activists.
Students from private universities in Chattogram at a press conference held at the Chattogram Press Club also called for justice for the victims of murders and assassinations targeting private university students.