Dhaka University (DU) will observe August 23 (Friday) as the “Black Day” in memory of the “inhuman, sad and condemnable” attack on the university’s teachers, students and officials on August 20-23, 2007 during the caretaker government regime, reports BSS.
To mark the day, teachers, students, officials and employees of the university will wear black badges, said a DU press release on Tuesday. A discussion will also be held at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) around 11:00 am with DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman in the chair, added the release. On August 20 in 2007, some military members severely beat up students when a violent clash ensued between them centering a football match at DU central playground. Thousands of DU students took to the streets protesting the incident and demanded withdrawal of the on-campus army camp at DU gymnasium and an apology from the troops. The protest afterwards spread to all the educational institutions across the country. Following the clash, the then army-backed caretaker government imposed a curfew on the divisional cities and later arrested four DU teachers- Prof Dr Anwar Hossain, Prof Dr Sadrul Amin, Prof Dr Harun-or-Rashid and Prof Dr Neem Chandra Bhowmick and several students and tortured them on August 23.
The attack sparked huge protest by the students against the army across the country. Since then the university observes the Black Day every year on August 23.