Students of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Dhaka University (DU) have demanded permanent expulsion of the Chhatra League men, who assaulted the journalists on the campus on Monday.
The agitated students made this demand while forming a human chain in front of the central library of the campus on Tuesday.
The students also demanded to ensure freedom of the press in the campus to maintain a democratic environment.
The DU students gave a three-day ultimatum to the university authority for the suspension of the attackers. They also threatened to wage tougher movements, if the authority did not meet their demands within the given time.
General Secretary of Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (Duja) General Secretary Mahdi Al Muhtasim Nibir expressed his solidarity with the students' demands.
Nibir urged the university administration to take action against the attackers, adding that: “It was a vicious attack on journalists. If the media on campus is not safe, it is a bad sign for everyone."
"We strongly condemn the attack and demand proper punishment,” he said.
Chhatra Union also brought out a torch-lit procession demanding the Chhatra League attackers' punishment, who swooped on Chhatra Dal activists and journalists.
Victim journalist Nurul Afsar said: “I was walking there like a normal student, however, Chhatra League men started beating me when I tried to take pictures of them attacking Chhatra Dal activists."
Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men assaulted three journalists—Anisur Rahman of the Students Journal, Rahatul Islam Rafee of the Dainik Pratidiner Bangladesh, Afsar Munna of Dainik Business Bangladesh—while beating up Chatra Dal men on the DU campus.
Chhatra League’s Dhaka University unit President Sonjit Chandra Das and General Secretary Md Saddam Hussain apologized to Duja two hours after the attack and said they would take action against the attackers.
Duja gave a 24-hour ultimatum to Chhatra League to take necessary steps against the culprits.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) backed White Panel of teachers while condemning the attack on Chhatra Dal along with the working reporters, and demanded exemplary punishment via a press release.
