The student platform Students Against Terrorism has called for the resignation of Dhaka University's vice-chancellor and proctor, citing ongoing security failures on campus following the murder of student Shahriar Alam Shammo.
During a press conference on Monday outside the DU Central Library, it demanded an official apology from the administration for what they termed “administrative negligence” resulting in two deaths within a nine-month period since August.
In their statement, the group criticised both university officials and law enforcement for an "inadequate" investigation into Shammo’s murder and the earlier case of Tofazzal Hossain, lynched at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall last year.
Several student leaders addressed the gathering, including Abidur Rahman Mishu from the Chhatra Dal's Surja Sen Hall unit, Israt Jahan Emu of Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, and Muhammad Mustakim and Roktobeej Arko, both from the Chhatra Union.
Arko called for the formation of a "justice assurance committee" comprising family members of the victim alongside students and faculty members to monitor the investigation.
The group also insisted that CCTV footage from the murder scene be released publicly.
“We are watching a farce regarding the CCTV footage. After promising to gather evidence, law enforcement now claims no footage exists from the past 10 days,” stated Mishu. “It is hard to believe surveillance cameras are not functioning near the Bangla Academy or the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.”
The platform’s demands included accountability for multiple security incidents over the past nine months, including Tofazzal’s lynching, the burning of an art installation before the Anondo Shobhajatra at the Fine Arts Faculty, and the removal of graffiti depicting Sheikh Hasina.
They also called for an investigation into the administration’s response to an attack on a university student commuter bus in Uttara.
"Students Against Terrorism" is a coalition formed after Shammo’s murder, bringing together Chhatra Dal activists and members from left-leaning student organisations including the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, and Samajtantrik Chhatra Federation.