The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

The leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of Awami League, yesterday observed two-hour token hunger strike on the Dhaka University campus to press home their demand for release of Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina and Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton, general secretary of the organisation.

The organisation has been holding different programmes, including mass signature campaign and demonstrations on the campus for some days in this connection but the Government has so far not yielded to their demand.

The BCL leaders declared that they would hold tougher programmes until the demand was met.

Prof Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Dhaka University Teachers' Association, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, former president of the organisation and Shahriar Kabir, human rights activist, expressed solidarity with the token hunger strike.

Addressing the programme, Prof Arefin Sidique accused President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed for the current situation of the country. He said the Government was not arresting the fundamentalists though they were creating anarchy but it arrested the Dhaka University teachers and students only for participating in a peaceful procession.

The present Government was showing the attitude of a tyrant keeping the political leaders in jail, said Prof Anwar Hossain.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) staged a demonstration on the campus demanding the freeing of BNP Chief Khaleda Zia along with all political detainees.

Senior vice-president of the organisation Sultan Salah Uddin Tuku, general secretary Shafiul Bari Babu, DU Unit general secretary Saiful Islam Firoz, among others, participated in the programme.