Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP, has released a list of 49 of its leaders and activists who were killed during the Anti-Discrimination student movement.
Chatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib released the list at a briefing in the BNP central office in Naya Paltan in the capital on Wednesday morning.
He said that 49 leaders and activists of Chatra Dal have been martyred in the mass uprising of the students. More than 1,000 students were martyred in this movement.
Rakib paid tribute to all the martyrs, including the 49 members of the Chhatra Dal, on behalf of their organization.
Chhatra Dal: Sacrificed our lives in quota movement to liberate BangladeshHe extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the salvation of their souls, describing the sacrifices made by the Chhatra Dal during the July-August protests as unprecedented.
In the July-August movement, the Chatra Dal's sacrifice was notable. The Chatra Dal has given full support to the movement demanding quota reform from the beginning and under the banner of the anti-discrimination student movement. Chhatra Dal leaders and activists at all levels joined the general students and accelerated the movement, said the Chhatra Dal president.
He said that on July 16, Abu Sayeed was martyred in a police firing in Rangpur. His death shook the whole world. Wasim Akram, a member of Chittagong College unit Chhatra Dal, was martyred on the same day. Mehedi Hasan Rabbi, Senior Joint General Secretary of Magura District Chhatra Dal, was martyred.
The Chatra Dal held a mourning procession across the country including Dhaka at 3pm Wednesday in memory of the martyrs of the student movement.
Chatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir claimed that the murderer, Hasina, fled the country on August 5 in response to the massive student uprising. For over a century, every leader and activist of Chatra Dal has been committed to establishing a democratic campus and a Bangladesh of equality and harmony. Meanwhile, Chatra Dal continues its active struggle for students' rights in education.
“We believe that future politics will reflect the positive approach that Chatra Dal has consistently supported. We aim to maintain a competitive spirit of constructive politics with every student organization,” he added.
In response to a question, he stated that for healthy campus politics, student politics is essential for securing students' rights.
However, he emphasized that it is time for student organizations involved in terrorism, extortion, violence, power grabs, and theft to end their activities.
Chatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib said: “We want to say firmly that Chatra Dal is not involved in any disorder.”
“Chhatra Dal has survived enduring tortures and persecutions in the last 15 and half years. None of our leaders are involved in any disorder and illegal occupation,” he said.
Among the list of Chhatra Dal activists and leaders are Mahbubul Alam of Sherpur Government College; Sabuj Mia of Sreebardi Government College, Biplob Hasan of Muzaffar Ali High School and College in Mymensingh’s Gouripur, Raihanul Islam of Ulipur Chhatra Dal unit in Kurigram, Md Shahid Kawsar Hossain Bijoy of Lakshmipur Government College, Fazle Rabbi of Dhaka Metropolitan East unit of the Chhatra Dal, Manik Mia Shariq of Mirkadim Chhatra Dal unit in Munshiganj, Farid Sheikh of Rampal Chhatra Dal, Ismail Hossain Rabbi of Dhaka Metropolitan West unit of Chhatra Dal, Shaon of Sutrapur Chhatra Dal, Shamim Howlader of Dhaka Metropolitan West unit of Chhatra Dal, Irfan Bhuiyan of United International University, Munir Hossain of Chhatra Dal unit under Bhatara Police Station, Imtiaz Ahmed Jabir of South East University, Tahidul Islam of Dhaka Metropolitan North unit of Chhatra Dal, Pavel Hasan Rabbi of Matlab Chhatra Dal unit in Chandpur, Rafiqul Islam of Shibalaya ward No. 7 of Manikganj, Rakib Ahmed of Fatullah Union, Hridoy Hossain of Gazipur’s Gacha Metro Thana, Afiqul Islam Sad of Savar Chhatra Dal, Little Hasan Lallu of Pallabi Chhatra Dal unit, Tanvir Hossain of Bargaon Union of Noakhali’s Sonaimuri.
Rakib said: “As a vanguard of democracy against the dictators in the continuation of the anti-authoritarian movement of the 1990s and 1/11 movement, the Chhatra Dal once again joined the students and the public in the uprising for the fall of Sheikh Hasina with its full force, which defeated Sheikh Hasina and forced her to leave the country. During the movement, around 2,100 Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were arrested, all of whom suffered torture in police custody."
JCD senior vice president Abu Afsan Md Yahia and Joint general secretary Shyamal Malum, among its other central leaders, were present.
