It is unimaginable in most civilized democracies to see ruling party members assaulting protesters with complete impunity. But sadly that is exactly what happened recently with brutal attacks being launched on peaceful protesters in Gopalganj.
The dreadful attack on the student protesters, who were demonstrating to demand quick arrest of perpetrators involved in the gang-rape of a fellow student in Gopalganj’s Nabinbagh, that occurred on Wednesday, left 30 students and three teachers including the vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology wounded.
The severity of the attacks is only overshadowed by the impunity which the attackers enjoyed. Among the protesters who got beaten up, four ended up in hospital with critical injuries.
The attacks reportedly happened after leaders and activists of the ruling party’s student wing asked the protesting students to leave, which they refused to do. Even the female students were not spared during the assault.
While the incident of rape itself is a cause of grave concern, the assault on people’s right to assemble and protest makes it infinitely more disturbing, particularly given that assaulting protesters with hooligan violence continues to get glossed over.
There is not a sentient being within the boundaries of this country who believes that behaviour like this would be possible if the top leadership took a stern stance against it. It’s the inaction of our leaders which ultimately encourages this sort of behavior from the bottom of the hierarchy.
It’s a matter of great incredulity when the university officials ask for the intervention of the highest seat of our government in order to stop this.
The local law enforcement should now exercise their legal power to investigate and prosecute these attackers. The government, as well as AL leadership, need to issue strong-worded statements to assure the victims and the public that violent crimes like this will not be tolerated at all, regardless of who the attackers are affiliated with.
