The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

The released Dhaka University teachers at a solidarity meeting urged the government to ensure congenial atmosphere for imparting education by establishing democracy and holding general election soon in the country.

They said the government couldn't do anything by strangulating democracy, which ensures rights of the people who want to move and speak freely.

They also urged the government to withdraw all the cases filed against the teachers and students in different colleges and the universities of the country, as they did not want to breach the academic activities for a moment.

The teachers, who were released on Tuesday and the five students out of 8 freed on bail yesterday after five months in jail, gathered at the Aparajeyo Bangla of the university where teachers, students, guardians, academics and journalists expressed solidarity with the released teachers and students.

Earlier, the released students paid homage to the Martyrs at the Central Shaheed Minar by placing bouquets.

The released students are Manabendra Dev, DU Unit president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Zahidul Islam Biplab, Rafiqul Islam Sujan, Mohammad Din Islam, Din Islam Angel Asaduzzaman, Liton Mahmud and Moniruzzaman Sardar.

National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, Syed Samsul Haque, Prof Mesbah Kamal, Prof MM Akash, Journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and the guardians of the released students, among others, spoke in the programme while Prof M Samad conducted the meeting.

Prof Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Dhaka University Teachers` Association (DUTA), said the university had taken a stand against the injustice as the conscience of Bangladesh. He said the students of the university have shown how a movement could be waged without violence from where the country's politicians could take lesson.

The government tried to create division among the teachers and the students through agents but it could not succeed, as our students were conscious, he said.

Cautioning the government, he said it cannot do anything as per its wish, because the country is not like Afghanistan, Pakistan or Somalia.

Prof Sadrul Amin, president of DUTA, said the released of the teachers and students is the victory for the truth.

He urged all to participate in the academic activities forgetting the misunderstanding that happened between two groups of teachers centring the teachers` release issue.

Prof Harun-or-Rashid, Dean of Social Science Faculty, the government had judged the teachers according to their road map in order to give punishment to the Dhaka University.

The teachers and the students welcomed the released teachers and the students and brought out a cheerful rally on the campus.

Besides, different student organisations staged demonstration on the campus and the students of Drama and Music Department of the university performed a drama titled 'Rakta Karabi.'