Chhatra League will give a fitting reply to those student leaders of the quota reform movement who last night labelled themselves Razakars and showed arrogance, said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the remark during a briefing to journalists at the party president’s political office in Dhanmondi today.
He said, “The issue of the students will remain confined to the campus. But we will see who comes out politically in the open, and when that happens, we will be prepared to confront them.”
Earlier on last night students of several public universities brought out protest over what they said was a “disparaging comment” by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier yesterday afternoon.
During the PM’s press conference on her recent China visit, Hasina said in response to a journalist’s question: “Why is there so much resentment against the Liberation War and the freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of the freedom fighters don’t get quotas, then should the grandchildren of razakars [Pakistani collaborators] get quotas? That is my question.”
Over 300, mostly demonstrators, hurt at DU during 5-hr-long pitched battles; female students, BCL men among the injured; agitators to hold nationwide protest rallies today
Chhatra League activists yesterday attacked quota protesters on Dhaka University campus, triggering fierce clashes that left at least 300 people injured — mostly protesters including female students and also some BCL men.
Clad in helmet and armed with sticks and iron rods, hundreds of Chhatra League activists, many from outside DU, beat up the demonstrators across the campus.
They were also seen whacking female protesters with sticks.
“They are afraid of the fact that we can also speak about our rights. They want to gag our voice at any cost.”
— A female student of DU
or about five hours, mayhem reigned supreme. After the pitched battles, the streets there were littered with thousands of brick chunks.
A group of Chhatra League activists even swooped on demonstrators at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the evening, causing panic among doctors, nurses, patients, and their attendants. Many ran for cover.
Nahid Islam, one of the organisers of the quota protests, said, “We don’t know the exact figure. But our estimate is that over 200 fellow demonstrators were injured in the attacks and many are in serious condition.”
Students of at least four other universities — Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University – also came under Chhatra League attack yesterday. At least 60 students were injured there.
