As protests continued for the second day on Saturday over the recent gathering of its activists on the campus of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), Bangladesh Chhatra League has scheduled a rally against the demonstrations.
In a statement on Saturday, the student organization said the rally will be held in the capital's Central Shaheed Minar at 11am on Sunday
The rally has been called demanding student politics be allowed back on the Buet campus.
Meanwhile, Muktijiddha Mancha said it would besiege Buet if student politics is not reinstated at the university.
It also threatened to bring back student politics at Buet by forming its committee there.
The organization demanded the restoration of the seat allotted to Imtiaz Hossain Rahim, a student of the 21st batch of the Civil Engineering Department of the university, in a residential hall.
Chhatra League’s take
In the statement, Chhatra League said: "The Buet administration has obstructed the constitutional right to association of Imtiaz Hossain Rahim Rabbi by revoking the allotted seat.
"According to the Engineering and Technological University Ordinance, 1961, Buet is an educational institution run with the expense of the people of Bangladesh and governed by the Constitution and the prevailing laws of the state. Even though the Act does not give Buet the power to ban student politics, the Buet administration is implementing the ban illegally and unconstitutionally," it added.
Protests and reactions
Earlier in the day, Buet students continued their demonstration protesting the gathering of Chhatra League activists late on Thursday night on the campus where political activities are banned.
The protesting students persist in their demand for Imtiaz's permanent expulsion from the university by 2pm.
They also placed several demands.
Responding to them, Buet Vice Chancellor Satya Prasad Majumder said he agreed with the demands but it would take time to implement those.
After the murder of Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department at Buet, who was beaten to death by Chhatra League activists at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall on 7 October 2019, the university banned student politics.
Later, on 8 December 2021, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 Buet students to death and five others to life imprisonment for the murder.
The students' demands
Permanent expulsion of Imtiaz Rabbi from Buet and cancellation of his hall seat by 9am, as he organized the midnight political rally on campus, violating the policy prohibiting political activities in Buet. While the administration has confirmed Imtiaz's expulsion from the hall, his permanent academic expulsion is pending confirmation. The students demand written confirmation of Rabbi's permanent academic expulsion by 2pm.
Identification and permanent expulsion from Buet of students involved with Imtiaz in the incident, including ASM Anas Ferdous, Mohammad Hasin Arman Nihal, Aniruddha Majumder, Zahirul Islam Imon, and Sayem Mahmud Sajeedin Rifat, along with others identified from pictures and video footage.
Accountability from the administration regarding the unauthorized entry of outsiders onto campus and assurance of legal action against those involved. The students demand written notice and implementation of this demand from the Buet administration.
Enforcement of strict regulations for student safety, including restrictions on staying on campus after 10:30pm, with permission required from the director of Directorate of Students' Welfare (DSW) for any exceptions.
Boycott of term finals on March 30 and all academic activities on March 31 to protest against safety concerns due to outsiders entering the campus.
Assurance of no retaliatory action against protesting students.
In their address, the students emphasized their commitment to upholding Buet's constitutional prohibition against student politics and condemned any attempts to misrepresent their movement's intentions. They reiterated their stance against all forms of student politics, in accordance with Buet's constitution.
