The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rajshahi Correspondent

Rajshahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court yesterday issued arrest warrant against a Rajshahi University teacher following a defamation suit filed by vice-chancellor against him.

On the other hand, our Rajshahi University correspondent AM Jahid reported last night that silent movement continues at Rajshahi University demanding unconditional release of 10 detained students and employee accused of August campus violence yesterday.

Besides, a female student of the Department of Economics of Rajshahi University was stabbed yesterday.

Our Rajshahi Correspondent Dayemuddin reports: CMM Rezaul Karim issued a warrant of arrest against M Faruk-uz Zaman, a professor of History department after police reported that RU VC Prof Dr M Altaf Hossain's allegations of defaming him and threats on his life was primarily found to be true.

Faruk-uz Zaman on July 7 last year sent a letter to the Chief Adviser of caretaker government, Education Adviser, University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman and RU VC mentioning a number of allegations of irregularities. Reading a copy of the letter, Prof Dr M Altaf Hossain lodged the defamation suit in August last year claiming that his reputation as a professor was greatly tarnished by the false propaganda and he felt threatened.

After filing of the case, the court had asked police to determine fact into the matter.

Faruk's lawyer Aslam Sarker said, with demanding VC's resignation and removal, the letter carried Faruk's comment as saying who knows what fate he (VC) was going to face for his abuse of power, corruption, and nepotism.

"The VC wrongly took Faruk's attempt to alert him as threats on his life and lodged the case," he added.

"I lodged the case as a professor, not as the VC. It (the letter) was very offending, his language was so attacking", RU VC Prof Dr Altaf told reporters yesterday evening.

"My complain was for the safety of all teachers and for that one teacher can show respect for another", he said.

Faruk-uz Zaman, a senior teacher in his letter alleged that the VC controversially recruited more than 500 teachers, officials and employees on political considerations by violating UGC directives.

Appointment of three close-relatives of the VC including his son-in-law as lecturers, appointing pro-Jamaat teacher Prof Nazrul Islam as permanent professor at the Education and Research Institute, promotion of a pro-Jamaat Assistant Registrar to the post of Registrar without selection committee meeting and re-appointment of some former deans after expiry of tenure were among the 11-points and were termed to be in violation of rules.

Meanwhile, a Rajshahi court yesterday stayed proceedings of the Tk 50,000 extortion case against journalist and human rights activist Jahangir Alam Aakash for three months.

The court of Rajshahi district and session judge AR Masud gave the order after Aakash's lawyers submitted before the court a higher court order regarding the stay.

On November 25, the home ministry included the extortion case filed by Mahfuzul Haque Loton, a contractor and Rajshahi district Awami League vice president, for holding its trial under the Emergency Power Rules of 2007.

Aakash, general secretary of Rajshahi Union of Journalists' and Rajshahi regional coordinator of Bangladesh Institute of Human Rights challenging the home ministry order filed a writ petition with the High Court.

A HC bench, comprising Justice ABM Khairul Haque and Justice Abdul Awal on January 2 stayed the case for three months and issued a rule against the government seeking explanation.

Aakash, also Rajshahi bureau reporter of Bengali Daily Sangbad and now defunct CSB News is facing total three extortion charges under Puthia and Boalia police stations in the district.

He was arrested on October 24 last year and was freed on bail 28 days later on November 19. However, the same court on January 7 last cancelled the bail and issued arrest warrant against him.

Aakash and his family members claimed, all three extortion charges against him were false and fabricated and filed with ulterior motives.

Aakash said, plaintiffs of the cases had grudge against him for publishing news reports against them. He was inhumanly tortured after his arrest, he added.

Loton, one of the plaintiffs alleged, Akash and two others demanded Tk 50,000 toll from him near a city Chinese restaurant on April 13 and he was forced to pay him Tk 20,000 following threats.

One Abdul Jalil, son of Kalimuddin of Kandra areas in Puthia sued Aakash with Puthia PS for extorting him Tk 30,000 on October 23.

He alleged in his case, he was forced to pay Aakash a toll of Tk 30,000 in April 2002 when Aakash threatened him saying that his son Harun would be hanged if his son's rape incident is published in newspapers.

Puthia municipal BNP president Abdul Latif Biswas also sued Aakash in another extortion case.

Meanwhile, our RU correspondent reports: A good number of students of Rajshahi University continued silent movement yesterday demanding unconditional release of 10 detained students and employee accused of August campus violence on the campus.

'Students Against Repression (Nirjatan Birodhi Students)' of RU demanded the unconditional release of all detained students immediately at a press conference in front of Mass Communications and Journalism Department yesterday afternoon.

They will observe some programmes like silent possession wearing black ribbons and black clothe over their faces at 11:00 am today (Tuesday). If the government and the RU not withdrew the case against students and employee, they would launch a tougher possession, they said.

Convener of the new organization of RU Masud Rana, Murad Zaman Rabbani, Monzurul Islam and Hasan Imon Sagor were present on the press conference.

In a separate move, about 200 students of "Students Against Authoritarianism (Kortitto Birodhi Students)" of RU organised a rally of mass song wearing black ribbons at 12:00 noon at Bablatola of campus demanding the same. The rally paraded the main thoroughfares of RU campus, which ended at central bus stand at 2:00 pm. After the rally, Md.Hasan Reza Arif, Mamunur Rashid and Badgon Audhikary spoke.

They also demand unconditional release of all detained students and employee of RU. They also demanded withdrawal of case against student before 15 January. If Govt. will not take immediate action according to their demand, they will attend on tougher action for the release of detained students from Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a female student of Economics Department of Rajshahi University (RU) stabbed yesterday.

Hosne Ara Sharmin, a Master's degree student of the Economic Department was.stabbed at the Zubery Playground of RU. Miscreants on board of two motor bikers approached to her and stabbed her on hand at about 9:00am, she said.

The injured was immediately taken to the RU medical center for treatment.

The injured student complained that some people wanted to kill her because of her bright result in Honours examination. But she could not identify the criminals.

Sharmin is the sole student in her batch under the Department of Economics who obtained first class in her honours final examination.

'Students Against Repression' alleged that this kind of heinous incident had been taking place on the campus 'because of irresponsibility' of RU authorities. They demanded immediate action against the culprits.

Shahidul Islam

The Caretaker Government and leaders of different political parties, including the BNP and the Awami League, are now assessing each others' minds, following Saturday's announcement of the Chief Adviser.

Calling for dialogue with the political parties, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed said his Government was in favour of holding the general election ahead of December and considering withdrawal of ban on indoor politics across the country and lifting the state of emergency in phases.

His announcement triggered various demands from senior leaders of different political parties, some of whom consider that the Caretaker Government was on the backfoot following its failure to prevent the recent abnormal price hike of the essentials, particularly of rice.

Senior political leaders, particularly of the two major political parties-the BNP and the Awami League (AL)-are since making new demands and setting pre-conditions for their joining in the proposed dialogue with the Government.

In a related development, the visiting Deputy Administrator of the USAID for Asia and Near East Mark Ward had a meeting with senior leaders of different political parties at the residence of US Charge de Affairs Geeta Pasi on Sunday.

AL Acting General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam, BNP (reformist) Acting Secretary General Major (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed, BNP (anti-reform) Joint Secretary General Nazrul Islam Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Barrister Abdur Razzak and PDP Joint Convenor Abul Hasan Chowdhury, among others, attended the meeting, which reportedly reviewed the latest political situation in Bangladesh.

It, however, could not be ascertained as to whether the meeting between the US officials and political leaders would boost of the dialogue between the Caretaker Government and the political parties or it was only a diplomatic effort to asses situation of the country. After the Chief Adviser's announcement, most of the political leaders raised a common demand that the Caretaker Government announce the specific dates for the political dialogue, the withdrawal of restriction on indoor politics outside Dhaka and lifting the state of emergency.

They were also making public statements about the agenda of their respective political parties for the proposed dialogue.

Ahead of others, imprisoned AL President Sheikh Hasina demanded the Government to hold the general elections within April, leaving aside the polls-roadmap, which says the preparation of the voters' list with photograph would be completed by the end of June.

Top leaders of the AL and Secretaries General of both the factions of the BNP appeared to have been setting pre-condition that the state of emergency and the restriction on indoor politics across the country should be lifted before the dialogue so that a 'congenial' atmosphere is created for the talks.

AL Acting President Zillur Rahman and BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain separately demanded that the Government immediately released the two detained former Prime Ministers-Sheikh Hasina and Begum Khaleda Zia, who are also the chiefs of their respective parties, before the dialogue.

Although Zillur Rahman appeared to be softer as he said the prime agenda of his party for the political talks would be the release of Sheikh Hasina, if she was not freed before. Khandaker Delwar was tougher as he said his party would not join the dialogue if Begum Zia was not released.

When their attention was drawn to the political leaders' demand and pre-conditions, Communications and Public Works Adviser Major General Golam Quader and Primary and Mass Education Adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury said the Government was considering the politicians' statements very positively.

Disclosing that the political dialogue would take place after the completion of the on going talks between the Election Commission (EC) and political parties and that the Council of Advisers would fix the agenda through discussion, they expressed the hope that the proposed dialogue would be successful.

"The state of emergency may go before or after the dialogue," General Golam Quader said, pleading the politicians to refrain from making such demands, which could not be implemented by the Government immediately.

"Our political leaders are very experienced…. They were in power in the past and will reign over the country after the elections. So, I am hopeful that they would not place such demands, which may foil the entire initiative," he added.

Rasheda K Chowdhury said the Government was assessing the minds of the political leaders through studying their statements, taking them positively.

Expressing the hope that the political parties would join the dialogue, a western diplomat yesterday told The New Nation that politicians always make high demands before joining dialogues with the Government.

"There will be some give and take between the two sides and the dialogue will take place, as there is no alternative," he observed.

When contacted, BNP Acting Secretary General Major Hafizuddin Ahmed and AL Presidium Member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday urged the Election Commission to complete its talks with political parties in order to pave the way for the political dialogue.

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda Monday said the national election would not be held under the state of emergency even though the Election Commission has not yet taken any decision what would be its strategy in this regard. "No, no, that won't happen," CEC Huda told reporters at a briefing in response to a question if the elections this time would be held under martial law as the CEC himself referred to 1970, 1979 and 1986 elections held under martial law, and termed that of 1970 as "nice elections".

The journalists were briefed as the Commission yesterday finalised the district-wise delimitation of parliamentary seats, raising the number in four divisions and keeping it unchanged in two others.

As per the redrawn parliamentary constituencies, there would be 94 seats in Dhaka division against its previous 90, 58 seats in Chittagong division against 59, 21 in Barisal division against 23, 36 seats in Khulna division against 37.

The number of parliamentary seats in Sylhet (19 seats) and Rajshahi divisions (72 seats) remained unchanged.

Asked why the issue of martial law came, the CEC said it has been reported to him that this particular issue is being discussed in the media.

"We're not propagating or recommending it (the idea of holding elections under state of emergency)… There'll be different kinds of people when we'll call on the Chief Adviser (to discuss the matter of emergency)… We need to know the background so that we can handle any kind of question regarding the instances (of holding elections under martial law or state of emergency," Huda said clarifying the EC's position.

"We (EC) have not yet taken any decision what strategy we'll adopt (about state of emergency)," he said when asked how earlier the state of emergency should be lifted before holding the elections.

Asked how earlier than the EC announced roadmap (election by Dec 2008) the elections could be held, the CEC said the timeline could be guessed by mid-February.

About the electoral roll, he said the ongoing second round of countrywide voter-listing seems to be most difficult and now the task is going on in Dhaka City Corporation and offshore islands, haor and chars like Manpura, Hatia, Swandip, Kutubdia and Moheshkhali and Urir Char and Char Alexander.

"It doesn't mean that the Election Commission will be ready as soon as the list is completed. Another one and half months are required to take objections and hold hearings regarding the list," CEC Huda said. Hailing the Communications

Adviser's remarks that the state of emergency would not be there even for an hour when it is not required for, the CEC said he had taken the remarks as made on behalf of the government.

"The government is our assisting force… It's entirely a political decision what is to do with the state of emergency. What we can, we can pinch it (the government)… I asked to lift the ban on politics fully, but the government didn't," he said.

About the district-wise delimitation of the parliamentary constituencies, CEC Huda said the status of some 251 constituencies would remain the same while that of others would be delimited maintaining the geographical integrity and facilities of the inhabitants.

As per the EC's delimitation done by using the Highest Reminder method, there would be one more constituency each in Rajshahi, Chittagong, Gazipur and 7 in Dhaka, while Sirajganj, Chandpur, Comilla, Barguna, Satkhira, Faridpur, Kishoreganj, Manikganj and Munshiganj will lose one each.

Asked about discussing the delimitation issue with political parties, Huda said at this early stage there is no need to discuss it. "Discussion can take place at local or national level when the draft will be finalised," he said.

About apprehension of the political parties that the EC's step to delimit the constituencies would hamper elections, the CEC said the EC would take measures so that the elections are not hampered.

"We have plans - plan A, plan B - We'll take measures as per the situation… Our only goal is to hold elections by December, 2008 by any means… We'll be fully careful so that the elections are not hampered… If any irresistible circumstance emerges, then the existing (list of constituencies) will be followed… We won't get stuck," the CEC said.

The constituencies were earlier redrawn in 1973, 1979, 1984 and in 1995 on limited scales.

The delimitation ordinance has identified three criteria- population, administrative convenience and keeping administrative units intact-for redrawing the constituencies.

Staff Reporter

Noted playwright and professor of the Department of Drama and Dramatics Selim Al-Din breathed his last at the city's Lab Aid Cardiac Hospital yesterday. He was 59.

The critically ill playwright was scheduled to be shifted to a hospital in Bangkok by an air ambulance yesterday afternoon for better treatment in Thailand.

Cardiologist Prof APN Sohrabuzzaman and Sanmilito Sangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yusuf Bacchu confirmed the death of Selim Al-Din at 2:10pm yesterday.

LabAid media coordinator Mesbah Azad said Selim Al-Din died at 2:10pm at the coronary care unit of the hospital while undergoing treatment there.

The body of Selim Al-Din was taken to the mortuary at BIRDEM from LabAid Cardiac Hospital in the afternoon. His body will be taken to Central Shaheed Minar premises at 10:00am tomorrow (Wednesday) where the body will be kept so that people irrespective of all strata can pay their last respect to him. Later, the body will be taken to the Jahangirnagar University campus where he will be buried near the Shaheed Minar.

Selim Al-Din's condition deteriorated at Lab Aid Cardiac Hospital on Sunday after his admission on Friday night.

Earlier, he was admitted to BIRDEM Hospital at Shahbagh on Friday evening with the complains of chest pain and difficulties in breathing. As his condition was deteriorated, he was shifted to LabAid Cardiac Hospital at Dhanmondi later at night.

Doctors said Selim Al-Din had been suffering from chronic bronchitis, high blood pressure, and kidney problems. Besides, complications in his gallbladder were detected after examination on Friday. He had been fighting for life at the CCU of LabAid Cardiac Hospital over the last four days. He was kept alive through life supports.

Selim Al-Din's vital organs, including kidneys, liver and heart failed yesterday morning.

Receiving the news of Selim Al-Din's death, a pall of gloom descended on the entire cultural arena yesterday.

Born on August 18, 1949 in village Shenerkhil under Sonagazi thana in Feni district, Selim Al-Din's original name was Moinudddin Ahmed. Selim was the founding chairman of the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University.

He was also the president of Village Theatre Project under Dhaka Theatre.

One of the finest playwrights the country has ever produced, he wrote Charkankra in 1977, which makes one of the first street plays in Bangladesh. Pioneer of modern Bangla drama, Selim Al-Din also collected the elements of thousand years of Bangla drama

His most important plays include Muntasir Fantasy (1976), Kirton Khola (1980), Keramat Mangal (1984), Chaka (1990), and Jaibati Kanyar Mon (1991).

His other dramas Bashon, Atotaiee, Saiful Muluk Badiuzzaman and Hat Hodai established him as a dramatist extraordinaire.

He produced epic drama 'Nimojjon' at the last stage of his life and had also written a number of TV dramas and serials.

Selim did a PhD in 'Drama in the Middle Age of Bengali Literature' in 1995.

He received Bangla Academy Award in 1984 and other awards from different organisations in Bangladesh.

As a young boy he travelled widely thanks to his father being a civil servant. He was a avid reader from an early age and would finish a new book in one sitting.

He also started writing from early age.

Selim enrolled in Dhaka University in 1966 and got involved with Dhaka Theatre. He made up his mind to become a writer and wrote his first drama in 1968.

It was under his tutelage that the Gram Theatre under Dhaka Theatre started its journey.

The drama he penned in his early days as a playwright included 'Sharpa Bishoyak Golpo,' 'Jaundice O Bibidho Baloon' and 'Mul Samashya.'

Selim was among those who helped dramas flourish after 1971 with innovative ideas, political awareness, skill in form and use of refined language.

The plays of this time were based on the people's movement and the liberation war as well as the erosion in social values and the despair of the masses.

Symbolism and folk heritage were also used in many of the plays. Many foreign plays were translated at this time.

Selim was among those who made the drama movement forceful.

CA condoles Selim Al-Din's death

Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday expressed profound shock at the death of playwright Selim Al-Din.

In a condolence letter to Selim Al-Din's wife, Dr Fakhruddin said Selim Al-Din was a bright star in Bangladesh's history of theatre movement. "His death has caused an irreparable loss to the country's literature," he said.

The Chief Adviser prayed salvation of the departed soul and conveyed his deep sympathy to his bereaved family members.

Bangladesh Film Censor Board members and employees yesterday expressed their profound shock at the death of censor board member and professor of the Department of Drama and Dramatics of Jahangirnagar University Dr Selim Al-Din.

In a condolence message, they also recalled the merit, wisdom and significant contributions of Selim Al-Din during the discharging duty at Bangladesh Film Censor Board.

They also prayed for the departed soul and conveyed their deep sympathy to the bereaved family members.

UNB, Dhaka

Communications Ministry Monday approved Strategic Transport Plan for installing an underground railway system in the capital for ending a nagging traffic congestion in the city.

The Ministry will send the plan to the council of advisers of the caretaker government within next seven days for finial approval.

Speaking to reporters at his office at the secretariat, newly appointed Communications Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Ghulam Quader said the Ministry would send the proposal to the Cabinet soon for final approval.

He informed that implementation of the Strategic Transport Plan would take two years and cost Tk 500 crore.

General Quader, however, informed that it needs 10-12 years to complete the full subway project. "Donors and development partners, including the World Bank, have assured us fulfilling our requirement. So money won't be a problem in implementing the project," he said.

The Communications Advisor, however, said that to build a subway in an overcrowded city like Dhaka would not be very easy, as such a construction will require stoppage of traffic for a long time. And for this, the Ministry will formulate a new law for controlling vehicles.

Quader expressed his disappointments over the BRTC activities during the previous government's tenure, saying that the government is planning to reorganize the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation.

The Advisor said rail crossing at several places in Dhaka City causes heavy traffic jams and the Ministry is also thinking about a way out to reduce the jam and ease transportation for the city-dwellers.

Contech Limited, a local firm, earlier had submitted the lowest bid in a tender called by Bangladesh Railway for constructing underground railway in Dhaka.

In the proposal, the firm proposed to build a total of 52 kilometres of subway in the city by spending some Tk 5,200 crore.

Staff Reporter

Civil society groups of the South Asia at a consultation in the city demanded that climate change and its effects and immediate remedies should be the key agenda item at the G8 summit that will be held at the middle of this year in Hokkaido in Japan.

The UN climate change process commits to a legally binding target of a minimum of 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Any commitments on climate change made at the G8 summit should be on a fair and equitable basis, they demanded.

Voices of the poorest and most marginalised people are heard and listened to during all negotiations relating to climate change. Immediate agreements on increased funding for poor nations to adapt to climate changes and further these commitments must be over and above any existing international aid commitments, they added.

The World Bank and all other donors should stop funding fossil fuel exploitation and honour its earlier commitments that such funding should not contribute to climate change, whose impacts hit poor people disproportionately hard, the speakers demanded. National governments should adopt environmental friendly and low emission industrial practices and pro-people development plans. People should be involved in screening all such industrial and mega projects that causes damages to ecology and livelihood resources of majority of people, they also demanded.

The South Asia civil society consultation on "Climate Change: Bali to Hokkaido-What next?" organised by CAMPE at BRAC Centre Inn yesterday.

Rasheda K Choudhury, Adviser for Primary and Mass Education and Women and Children Affairs, was present as chief guest, while Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, President of Bangladesh Economic Association, chaired the session.

Hua Du, Country Director of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, Indian High Commissioner, Masayuki Inoue, Japanese Ambassador, Touhid Hossain, Foreign Secretary, Anil Kumar Singh, Convener of South Asia Facilitation Group, Tasneem Athar, Deputy Director of CAMPE, among others, spoke at the concluding session of the consultation.

Hua Du said, "The developing countries like Bangladesh mostly bear the consequences of climate change though they have the least contribution to build up greenhouse gases."

"The world community needs a clear vision and strategy to immediately reduce and stop emission of greenhouse gases and to contain climate for sustainable development and also to protect lives and properties of millions of people, particularly the poor," she said.

Primary and Mass Education Adviser said, "We want economical, social and environmental justice. Climate change is a political issue. Adaptation theory would help to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases."

Pinak Ranjan said, "Poverty is the vast polluters, which is barrier for the sustainable development in the South Asian region."

Anil Singh said, "The climatic changes are damaging livelihood resources of majority of the population especially the vulnerable groups like women, children, peasants, fisher folk, forest dwellers and several other groups that are dependent directly on natural resources."

Rich nations immediately agree to increase funding to meet the adaptation needs of poorer nations. This commitment must be over and above existing commitments on aid flows, said the speakers.

Representatives from the South Asian countries and government and non-government organisations of Bangladesh attended the consultation.

UNB, Dhaka

Awami League leaders Monday urged the caretaker government to lift the state of emergency from across the country as soon as possible.

"Now all the parties are demanding that the caretaker government lift the countrywide state of emergency. We also urge the government to withdraw the emergency as soon as possible," AL presidium member Abdur Razzak told reporters.

Razzak was addressing a press conference following the 5th meeting of AL Relief Committee held at the party's Dhanmondi office in the morning.

AL presidium members Suranjit Sengupta, Amir Hossain Amu and acting general secretary Syed Asharful Islam, among others, were present at the press conference.

Razzak presented information and data about the money, foods, clothes collected from across the country and abroad, and donated by the AL leaders and activists.

AL launched relief works after Cyclone Sidr hit the country's 10 southwestern districts on November 15.

"As of January 13, a total of Tk 1,38,5,370 has been deposited to the AL relief fund. Of the total, Tk 98,50,000 has been distributed among the Sidr-affected people in the southwestern districts. Now we have Tk 39,31,850 in bank account," Razzak said.

He said the amount has been spent for those seriously affected by Sidr.

AL is going to launch another project tomorrow (Tuesday) on agriculture rehabilitation by providing seeds of high quality rice, including hybrid paddy, among the Sidr-hit farmers, Razzak said.

"Part of the money we have in hand will be spent on agriculture rehabilitation. And we're also thinking how we'll spend the rest of it. We've already thought about helping people to rebuild their houses and providing them with rickshaws and boats," he said.

Razzak also said they are expecting donation of more than Tk 50 lakh by January 19 when they will announce another project for the Sidr-affected regions.

Asked what will they do for the Monga-affected northern districts, he said they have a separate plan to help the monga-hit people.

Jamal Uddin Jami

The Dhaka University teachers are divided into two groups over the release process of their detained colleagues and the students languishing in the prison for almost five months.

The teachers especially who are in favour of setting free the detainees through agitation expressed their dissatisfaction with the government decision on the release issue of the teachers and students.

While some teachers, in favour of the legal process, are supporting the process saying everybody should abide by the law because no one was above the law. However, the students under different banners carried out their agitation yesterday and pledged to continue until all the detainees were freed.

Prof Akhteruzzaman, former general secretary of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA), thanking the newly appointed Education Adviser Prof Hossain Zillur Rahman, said the Adviser has shown his sincerity in this regard.

The release issue would be acceptable and respectable if the government would withdraw all the cases against them.

Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, Chairman of Bangla Department said that they are hoping immediate release of the jailed teachers but the release process has to be through legal process.

Some students under the banner of 'Chhatra Bandhu' took out a silent procession stretching from Curzon Hall area to Aparajeyo Bangla where a good number of students under the banner of 'Anti-repression students' observed a mass signature programme.

Besides, Music and Drama Department staged a street drama named "Rakta Karabi" in the same venue.

Earlier, Progressive student alliance including Chhatra Union, Chhatra Front and Chhatra Federation met the Vice Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz reiterated their demands saying they do not want to know the types of case against the teachers and students they want to see the detainees free.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) DU Unit General Secretary Saiful Islam Firoz told The New Nation that they will go for agitation if the all detainees were not freed while Chhatra League DU Unit General Secretary Sazzad Sakib Badsha said they would urge the VC at first to free them all.