Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student front of the ruling party, on Sunday organized demonstration on Dhaka University (DU) campus demanding exemplary punishment and arrest of those involved in the vandalism of the sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Several hundreds of leaders and activists of different units of Bangladesh Chhatra League gathered in front of Dhaka University's Madhu’s Canteen. They later marched towards Raju memorial sculpture in Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) area and held a protest rally.
While addressing the rally, Lekhak Bhattacharjee, general secretary of BCL, said, “Those who vandalised the sculptures in the country have crossed their limit. We shall resist these miscreants.”
He urged the BCL activists across the country to be conscious about political vengeance related speeches under any Waz Mahfil.
He further said, “If anyone tries to do so, the Chhatra League men will stop them.”
He also demanded immediate arrest of the culprits who were involved with the incident in Kushtia -- vandalizing Bangabandhu’s sculpture, and urged the authorities to bring them under justice.
Chhatra League President Al-Nahean Khan Joy, DU unit President Sonjit Chandra Das and General Secretary Md Saddam Hossain were present, among others.
Expressing grave concern over the vandalism of an under-construction sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahman in Kushtia, Dhaka University Teachers’ Association or DUTA has termed the act an attack on the people and against the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the teachers’ organization said: “We believe Bangabandhu and Bangladesh are inseparable. No evil forces can ever remove the name of Bangabandhu from our hearts. We consider the vandalism of the statue as being an attack on entire Bangladesh."
“On December 5 in 1969, Bangabandhu renamed the then East Pakistan as Bangladesh and unfortunately the same day after 51 years, some miscreants vandalised his sculpture. It caused our hearts to bleed,” the statement reads.
“We think the attack is the outcome of continued provocative anti-statue remarks made by Islamists across the country in the past few days,” they added, warning that such an act will never be tolerated in future and if needed, the entire nation will unite to fight evil forces.
The DUTA will hold a human chain at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture on the university campus around 11:30am on Monday.
Meanwhile, activists of the ruling Awami League have demonstrated all across the country, including Savar, Chapainawabganj, Tangail and Jhenaidah, protesting the incident. They also demanded exemplary punishment of those involved in the vandalism.
JU unit of BCL staged demonstrations on the campus protesting vandalism on the sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Bangabandhu Shikkhok Parishad, a faction of Jahangirnagar University pro-AL teacher’s organisation, condemned the recent incident of damaging Bangabadhu’s sculpture in Kushtia.
Besides, they announced a human chain and protest rally program on December 8 regarding the matter.
The progressive teachers’ alliance Shapla Forum formed a human chain on the campus in Kushtia protesting against vandalising the sculpture of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
About one hundred teachers formed the human chain in front of the university's Mrittunjoyee Mujib mural around 12:00pm.
