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Journalists working at Jahangirnagar University (JU) have formed a human chain demanding 4 points, including justice for the torture of a journalist working on the university campus. The speakers said that if the demands are not accepted within 24 hours, they will go to the next program, including laying siege to the administrative building.
The human chain was held on Friday (September 2) on the road adjacent to the Central Shaheed Minar of the university.
Presented four points in the human chain are -
1. Ensuring trial of the accused within 24 hours.
2. Administration of Rabindranath Tagore Hall, who failed to fulfil their duties, to resign from the duty.
3. Investigating the negligence of the inquiry committee for not acting impartially.
4. Take over of control of the residential halls by the administration.
On August 2 (Tuesday), journalist Al Amin Hossain Rubel, working in an online news portal, was called to the 'guest room' of Rabindranath Tagore Hall and allegations of torturing were raised against a few Chhatra League activists. Regarding this incident, Chhatra League leaders accused eight staffers, were released from this political organisation and declared Persona-non-grata.
Five days were fixed for the hall administration to investigate the matter and recommend actions to be taken by the disciplinary body; however, the administration submitted the investigation report after a month. More interestingly, the report did not find anything against the eight people who were exempted from the Chhatra League, and the administration could not make any recommendations.
Shuvo Anowar, the campus correspondent of a national daily, said, "You know that the provosts of the halls are only responsible for clerical works. They come to the hall for a short time every day, leave signing the papers of the students. What is the condition of a student's dormitories? How is the quality of food? What is the condition of the seats? they don't have time to care about anything."
"We don't want to see this kind of university. We want to see an environment where everyone has equal rights and everyone will fulfil their respective responsibilities. They will continue their education freely and live with their rights. Any torture will be tried and punished," he added.
Rakibul Rony, President of the JU branch Chhatra Union, standing in solidarity with the human bond, said, "We know that when any student is tortured in this university, these journalist brothers are the first to pick up the pen. Even we who are progressive politicians often do not know about various injustices and corruptions of the university. Journalists expose these secret injustices and corruptions in front of us. That's why all administrations are always angry with these journalists."
Md. Belal Hossain, the university reporter of another national daily, said in his speech, "The purpose of establishing a university in Bangladesh was to produce knowledge. To create a smooth path for practising democracy. One of the pillars of that democracy is media and journalism. From the university to the district, journalists are always being oppressed, and again and again, hence, we come to the streets."
Belal further said, "If we look at our incident which happened on August 2; the incident has not been tried for a month. On the night of the incident, no one from the hall administration could be brought to the hall. They gave lame excuses, saying they were tired and could not attend the spot. We need to think about whether a responsible administration can make such a statement.
Questioning the investigation process, he added, "In an incident as clear as day light, the inquiry committee appointed by the university did not find anything. They had no facts-findings, and therefore they could not make any recommendations. A report of an inquiry committee has been submitted, where the complain sheet has not been attached to the report. Eyewitnesses' statements are trimmed."
"The ridiculous thing is that the statement of the complainant is not in the investigation report. Having spoken to everyone on the disciplinary board, the inquiry committee report has revealed so much irregularities that there is gross bias in wording of the report."
In solidarity with the four-point demand of the journalists, the students of various departments, including the leaders of the JU branch of Chhatra Adhikar Parishad, Chhatra Union, Chhatra Front and various progressive student organisations, participated in the protest.
Hosted by Dhaka Post Correspondent, Alkama Azad, Shahdat Hossain, University Correspondent of New Age, Chhatra Adhikar Parishad Leader Zahir Faisal, General Secretary of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Kanoj Kanti Roy and Sami Al Zahid Pritam, General Secretary of Jahangirnagar University Cultural Alliance also spoke there.