Staff Reporter:
Different student organisations staged demonstrations across public universities on Friday demanding a ban on Awami League (AL) politics, and announced “non-stop movement” until the demand is met.
“Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad,” “Inqilab Manch,” and “Dhaka Biswabidyalay-er Shadharon Shikkharthi (General Students of Dhaka University)” announced “indefinite movement” until the interim government bans AL during daylong protests on Dhaka University campus.
A freshly launched platform dubbed “Ganahattakari Awami League Nisshidhokoron Manch (Stage for Banning Genocidal Awami League)” also announced indefinite demonstration, starting with a “mass iftar” and “sit-in” programme at 5pm Saturday. The platform was launched at the Raju Sculpture on Dhaka University campus on Friday afternoon.
Protests were also held at Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University and Jagannath University, among others, demanding a ban on Awami League politics.
Ganatantrik Chhatra Parishad and Islami Chhatra Shibir staged protests at Jagannath University, Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad and others demonstrated at Jahangirnagar University, and former leaders of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement led protests at Rajshahi University.
Present leaders of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, a close ally of Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad and the launching ptatform for uprising leaders, also demonstrated at Cumilla city.
Earlier, DU students staged protests against the chief adviser’s refusal to ban Awami League (AL) as a political party, and warned they would cause a countrywide bloodbath if the party members, now in hiding, are rehabilitated.
Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, the student organisation of last year’s uprising leaders, called on Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to withdraw his remarks on Thursday. Prof Yunus had told reporters the interim government has no plans to ban Awami League as a political party.
Speaking at a rally in front of the DU Central Library, Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad Member Secretary Jahid Ahsan rejected the idea of a “reformed” Awami League. He alleged that attempts are being made to rehabilitate Awami League leaders under different “guises”, but warned such efforts would only pave the way for a repeat of July massacre.
To this end, he pledged to resist such efforts from now.
The student organisation’s Central Spokesperson Ashrefa Khatun rejected the chances of any “humane member” present in Awami League. During the July-August uprising last year, not a single Awami League activist, from the grassroots to the top level, spoke up against the deadly firing on protesters on Awami League government’s order, Ashrefa alleged.
Instead of rehabilitating Awami League, holding trails against the “genocidal party’s” leaders and activists should be the priority of Prof Yunus-led government, they claimed.
“Dhaka Biswabidyalay-er Shadharon Shikkharthi (General Students of Dhaka University)” urged Prof Yunus to hold a referendum on the issue of banning Awami League.
AB Jubair, a key member of the platform, announced the founding of “Ganahattakari Awami League Nisshidhokoron Manch.”
He called on anyone, irrespective of belief or political affiliation, seeking to ban Awami League to join the new platform.
