The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal held a “March for Justice” on Saturday afternoon, demanding a ban on underground politics at the educational institutions and seeking accountability for the criminal activities of the banned organization, Chhatra League.
The procession began in front of the Institution of Engineers and culminated at the Central Shaheed Minar, with leaders and activists from various units, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and Dhaka Metropolitan, joining the demonstration.
The march, led by Chhatra Dal Central President Rakibul Islam Rakib and General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, saw participants chanting slogans against Chhatra League and the Awami League, calling for justice.
The slogans included "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied," “Say No to Mobocracy,” “Stop Mob Justice,” “Criminals Have No Place on Campus,” and “Break the Awami Senate-Syndicate.”
In a statement, General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir demanded the immediate arrest of Chhatra League's top leaders.
He said: “Today’s (Saturday) program is part of our demand for the trial of the terrorist organization Chhatra League. We see that their top leaders are still roaming freely, but the authorities are not arresting them. We demand the immediate arrest of Chhatra League’s terrorists.”
The march also served as a call for an investigation into those who were involved in supporting fascism during the July-August student protests.
During the rally, Rakibul Islam Rakib called for the banning of “underground politics” on campuses, urging educational institutions to take legal action against Chhatra League members.
He expressed concern that some political parties were trying to undermine national unity formed after the 5th August uprising, in a bid to strengthen their own power.
Rakib also warned against individuals or groups attempting to monopolize credit for the uprising, stressing that such efforts would be rejected.
Regarding the delay in legal action against Chhatra League, Rakib expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in their trial, despite five months having passed since the incidents.
He criticized the administrations of universities, including Dhaka University, for not showing “goodwill” toward the trial process.
Chhatra Dal has demanded the immediate publication of reports on the trial and legal action against individuals involved in subversive activities.
Rakib added: “The longer the delay in the trial, the more complicated the process will become, making it easier for Chhatra League members to evade justice.”
Chhatra Dal has vowed to continue their protests until the trial of Chhatra League is concluded and justice is served.