Agitating students on Sunday demanded resignation of the Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, and Proctor Dr AKM Golam Rabbani if they fail to do justice for the attack on the Ducsu VP and his followers.
“We do not want you [VC and proctor]. If you do think you cannot do justice [for the attack], if you do not think you can fulfill your duties, then resign,” one of them shouted when the duo went to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) to visit the injured students.
“Shoot us, kill us, sir. We will not do anything,” the agitating students said.
Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) Vice President Nurul Haque Nur and 27 others were injured in an attack reportedly carried out by Chhatra League activists and Muktijuddha Mancha on Sunday. They were later taken to DMCH for treatment.
Of them, APM Suhel and Tuhin Farabi were thrown off the rooftop of the Ducsu building, said Hasan Al Mamun, convener of Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council.
Among them, 14 were under treatment as of last night, but all except five were released on Monday.
The DU VC, who is also the president of Ducsu, went to the hospital about eight hours after the incident took place on Sunday. The proctor, who was also notified by students and Ducsu senior administrative officers, did the same.
The protesting students also termed the duo as agents of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party.
The protesting students made the remarks while demanding justice and trial of the attackers.
During their conversation, Akhtaruzzaman told Nur that he came to know of a “major incident that would destabilize the campus.”
“I have seen some photos of outsiders [with you] – ‘Who are they?’ They may have demanded a dead body by capturing you inside. You may have been a victim of conspiracy,” the VC told Nur at the hospital.
Ganasanghati Andolon Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki speaks at the protest against the attacks on Ducsu VP Nur at the Dhaka University campus on Monday, December 23, 2019 | Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
DU law department student Salah Uddin Sifat told the VC to take action against the proctor as the proctor allegedly threatened him of termination when the student went to his office demanding trial of the attackers.
“I am a student of the university. Instead of saving me, he is threatening me of termination, and handing me over to police,” claimed the student to VC.
But the VC was silent.
The students also raised questions over how the Ducsu VP was beaten in closed doors.
‘Part of a conspiracy’
When asked over what he really meant as “demand for a dead body by capturing Nur inside a room,” Md Akhtaruzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune on Monday that the proctor went to the Ducsu building following information of attack.
“When he [proctor] went there, Nur was inside and the door was closed. The proctor waited for long, but they did not open the door. The first task when such incidents take place is to take the injured to hospital immediately as delay can lead to unwarranted situations,” he said over the phone.
The VC claimed he indicated there would be loss of lives if there were any delay in taking the injured to hospitals.
He also claimed those, who wanted to orchestrate killings in the campus, may have been involved with this.
“We are consistent in making the university campus peaceful,” he said.