Eight DU students freed, sombre mood lingers

Dhaka, Jan 23 (bdprem.com) — Freed Dhaka University teachers and students Wednesday vowed to continue their movement until all cases related to the August 2007 campus unrest were withdrawn. Eight students were freed Wednesday in two cases filed in connection with a single incident of setting fire to an army vehicle during the August events at Dhaka University. Your Ad Here "Our movement will continue until the government withdraws all cases against the student community," said one of the students, Deen Islam Angel, on release. Manobendro Dev, Jahidul Islam Biplob, Rafiqul Islam Shujan, Deen Islam and Deen Islam Angel walked out of Dhaka Central Jail at 11:15 am Wednesday after getting bail. There was little celebration at Dhaka University campus following their release however, as three students still remained behind bars. The three were eventually freed later the same day. Liton Mahmud and Moniruzzaman Sardar were freed around 4.00pm. Liton was exempted from one case, while Moniruzzaman had been acquitted by the court from the other case. Asaduzzaman was the eighth student to leave Dhaka Central Jail shortly after 6.00pm. Both the cases regarding the vehicle-torching incident were filed with Shahbagh Police Station following the unrest prevailing at the university campus during August 21-23, 2007. Eighteen of the 25 persons accused in the cases were not charged in the final report. One of the cases was dropped Tuesday evening through submission of a final report in court. A teacher-student solidarity rally was held at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla Wednesday, following the release of the DU students. The recently freed DU teachers and parents of the freed students spoke at the rally, attended by several hundred students and teachers. The freed DU teachers demanded the state of emergency be withdrawn and national polls be held immediately. DU students at the rally declared Aug 20 would be a day to mark 'Students' and Teachers' Oppression'. Professor Neemchandra Bhowmick demanded the emergency be lifted and polls be held immediately for a peaceful atmosphere in the country. He reiterated his vow to protest any injustice in future. "The withdrawal proved that the cases were false and brought for harassment," he said. "The government created a situation in the country where Dhaka University was made out to be an opponent. But an educational institution cannot be opponent of anybody," he added. Prof Harun-or-Rashid said: "It's we who will remain on our campus. Those who detained us were forced to resign." "I want to tell Barrister Mainul Hosein that we will stay on our campus. We have many things to say, but will not say them at today's rally." "What were our faults?" he asked. "We just stood beside the troubled students. We only expressed sympathy with them and those students who stood beside them." "If that was a crime, we will commit this crime again in future." Harun-or-Rashid said he had received news at the time from several sources that he might be arrested but he did not flee. "They asked me to flee but I didn't. I rather packed my bag as part of my preparation to go to jail." He called on the students of the country to continue their movements unless all cases brought against them in connection with the August incidents were withdrawn. Prof Anwar Hossain said: "We believe it is our responsibility to stand beside troubled students." He thanked Professor MM Akash and all who played a role in the movement to free the teachers and students. "Their speeches shook up not only campus, but also the cantonment. Their peaceful movement is a good lesson for the caretaker government, DGFI members, politicians and people of the country." Anwar said the plaintiffs of the cases filed with Shahbagh Police Station were not the police officers as shown on paper. "The real plaintiffs were intelligence agents," he claimed. Anwar blamed the deployment of joint forces for the August unrest across the country. He also claimed that intelligence agents had phoned him and warned him to flee the night of his arrest. "We were blindfolded and led away to an unknown place in darkness. They did not need to arrest us in darkness of night. We could have fled before if we wanted to," he said. Anwar also demanded polls immediately, saying: "We don't want hear an announcement of a roadmap. A specific date must be announced for elections," he said. Professor Sadrul Amin—the fourth of the DU teachers freed Tuesday—also called on the protest movement to continue unless all cases were withdrawn. The students who were released Wednesday went on foot from Dhaka Central Jail to the Central Shahid Minar to pay their respects. "We haven't committed any crime or injustice whatsoever. Our alma mater didn't teach us bad things. The government is harassing us for no reason," released student Manobendro Dev said. Manob also demanded the cancellation of all other cases against students. Idris Ali, father of released student Deen Islam Angel, said: "I am very sorry to say that I went to the vice chancellor after my son had been arrested." "I told him 'sir, do something.' He said he could not say anything about it right then." Manabendro Dev's mother Dolly Dev said: "Manob did not commit any crime. Manob was born to protest injustice, not to commit crime." Rafiqul Islam's father Abdul Halim said: "Despite being a poor farmer, I sent my son to university for higher education." "I leapt at the chance to free the country in the liberation war. But in this free country, my son had to serve in jail on false charges." Shahin Akter, mother of Jahidul Islam Biplob, said: "They led away my son after blindfolding him in front of me." "I was not allowed to know who was taking him or where to. But I guessed at the sight of their clothes." "When they brought my younger son back, I ran after them to know where my elder son was. They went away without any answer."