Recalling the role of Jagannath University students in the July mass uprising, the convener of the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, Nahid Islam, said: “When we were carrying out the July movement, we would wait for the Jagannath University procession to arrive.”
He made the remarks in his address as chief guest at a discussion meeting and prize-giving ceremony titled “The July mass uprising: from the spark to the continuing revolution,” held at the university’s central auditorium on 28 July.
The event was organised by the Jagannath University branch of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti to mark the second anniversary of the July mass uprising.
Praising the role of Jagannath University students in the July movement, Nahid Islam said it is a matter of pride to be a student of a university that has martyrs. “We remember all the martyrs of July and everyone who made even a small sacrifice,” he said.
Setting out the university’s historic contribution, he said students of Jagannath University have played a leading role in almost every democratic movement in Bangladesh, yet the institution has in many cases not received proper recognition for its contribution. Noting that the then Jagannath College also played an important part in the founding of the University of Dhaka, he said that just as Dhaka University has contributed at various stages of nation-building, Jagannath University’s contribution is equally memorable in history.
He said the greatest contribution at the front of every movement in Bangladesh came from Jagannath University. “My request to everyone will be to look kindly on Jagannath University,” he said.
Stressing the need to develop Jagannath University as a more advanced and modern institution, Nahid Islam said that because it is located in the heart of the capital, talented students from all parts of the country get the chance to study there. The development of Jagannath University is therefore important for the country’s higher education system as a whole.
Members of the families of those killed and injured in the July mass uprising spoke at the discussion, along with teachers and students of the university and representatives of various political and social organisations.
The mother of Ikramul Haque Sajid, the only Jagannath University student killed in July, said in an emotional address: “I still sleep holding Sajid’s shirt. I am still alive like a living corpse. I have come here as the mother of a martyr.”
The vice-president (VP) of the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union, Md Riazul Islam, said the sacrifice of the front-line fighters and martyrs of the July mass uprising has given courage to a new generation. “We hope for a society in which there will be no discrimination,” he said.
The general secretary of the Jagannath University Teachers’ Association, Dr Imranul Haque, said the sacrifice of the July martyrs can never be forgotten. Let July remain an inspiration for taking Bangladesh forward and removing discrimination, he said. May no one meet a death like Sajid’s, he said. “From Jagannath we promise that we will never be second; we will be first.”
The Jagannath University proctor, Professor Dr Md Nasir Uddin, said the people of Jagannath will not let the banned Chhatra League return. He also stressed that violent politics must not be repeated on campus.
Al-Amin, the father of Mahadi Amin, a fighter shot in the July movement, recalled the time of the movement, saying he had a small business at Jatrabari and used to help the protesters with water. His family’s life changed completely after his son Mahadi was shot in the head.
The general secretary of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, Abu Baker Majumder, recalled various stages of the July movement, saying the fall of autocracy, the reform of state institutions and the removal of unemployment were among the movement’s aspirations. He also criticised the present political reality.
The president of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, Zahid Ahsan, said one of July’s main aims was to remove discrimination. He also spoke about Jagannath University’s budget, infrastructure development and various administrative matters.
The member of parliament for Narayanganj-4, Abdullah Al-Amin, spoke as special guest. He said many universities had in the past become centres of political repression. Universities must now be built as centres of learning and research, he said, and he called for a stand against anyone who tries to commit injustice or oppression behind a political identity.
The convener of Jagannath University Chhatra Shakti, Faisal Murad, said students of the university played an active role in the quota reform movement from the earliest days. For various reasons, he claimed, the university’s contribution did not receive adequate media coverage at the time.
Speakers at the discussion remembered the martyrs of the July mass uprising and called on everyone to work together to build a Bangladesh without discrimination, to end political repression on campuses and to realise the aspirations of July.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report