JU officers strike for leader's release

The Officers Association of Jahangirnagar University yesterday observed a daylong work stoppage demanding release of their general secretary, Abdur Rahman Babul, who was picked up from the campus by detectives the day before and later shown arrested on the charge of destructive activities during the protest movement by the BNP-led alliance.

Babul is also president of Dhaka district Jatiyatabadi Swechhasebak Dal, an associate organisation of BNP, said sources. Babul was denied bail and sent to jail yesterday.

Rallying in front of the vice chancellor's office, the officers said he has affiliation with a particular political party did not mean he was involved in destructive activities. They demanded the university authorities' initiative for getting him freed.

JU Teachers Association (Juta), JU Employees Association, and JU Employees Union expressed solidarity with the officers' demand.

Abdus Salam, president of the Officers Association, announced that the officers would refrain from work from 7:30am to 2:00pm every day till the release of Babul.

Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique said arresting someone was a legal process; the university administration had nothing to do there.