Alleging the oppression and torture of students, Nurul Islam Saddam, central president of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, has said the Chhatra League had turned the campuses into hell. “Sadly, the present government and its student organisation (the Chhatra Dal) have turned into an exact photocopy of the Awami League,” he said.
He was speaking as chief guest at a discussion and picture exhibition marking the anniversary of the death of Abrar Fahad and Anti-Repression Day. The event, titled “Canvas of scars: the campus of torture”, was organised by the Dhaka University branch of the Chhatra Shibir. The exhibition opened at 9am on Wednesday at the university’s Madhur Canteen and presented incidents of repression, torture and violence on campus in pictures. The discussion was held at the same place at 3pm.
The event was chaired by Mohiuddin Khan, president of the Shibir’s Dhaka University branch and assistant general secretary of DUCSU. The special guests were the organisation’s former central president Sirajul Islam, DUCSU vice-president Sadik Kayem and general secretary SM Farhad.
Saddam said hundreds of incidents of torture and repression took place in the 17 years of Awami League rule. “Awami fascism and India are strung on the same thread,” he said.
Recalling his own experience of torture at BUET, Sirajul Islam said: “Abrar Fahad’s words were the words of us all. That spark grew huge five years later. It shook Hasina’s throne and sent her to Delhi. Those now in power must understand that criticism does not mean enmity.”
Sadik Kayem said DUCSU’s greatest success was a violence-free campus, and that students had been tortured day after day in this very Madhur Canteen. He said Abrar Fahad had spoken against Indian hegemony, as had “our Major Zia, Khaleda Zia, Shaheed Osman Hadi and the July protesters”, and that people must now understand who their enemies and friends were.
SM Farhad said the primary structure of the torture on campus over the past 15 years was the gonoroom and the guestroom. “The Chhatra League did not start that culture; the Chhatra Dal did. We are again seeing that attempt on various campuses,” he said.
Closing the event, Mohiuddin Khan said those planning to torture students on campus anew would meet the same future as the Chhatra League. “We want all student organisations to work together for students,” he said.
Speakers stressed the need to end repression, violence and the violation of students’ dignity in educational institutions, and called for humane and safe campuses that ensure students’ safety, freedom of expression and dignity.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report