Friday's Procession at CU Defying Ban

Punish Shibir cadres in 24 hrs: BCL deadline

8 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Staff Correspondent, Chittagong

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Chittagong University (CU) unit at a rally yesterday demanded expulsion of Islami Chhatra Shibir men who brought out procession on the campus on Friday night defying restriction. They also gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the university authorities to punish those who at a press conference brought allegation against the BCL men of opening fire near the campus on that night. The BCL leaders held the rally at the university main gate in the afternoon. Earlier, the BCL men brought out a procession from the CU railway station premises. However, it could not enter the campus as the proctorial body put the main gate under lock and key. Terming the allegation of gunfire by BCL men as concocted, the BCL leaders said Shibir is trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere on the campus on the first day of admission tests. BCL senior vice president Abul Mansur Jamshed, general secretary Ershad Hossain, joint secretary Joynal Abedin and deputy science and technology secretary Mohsin Chowdhury spoke at the rally. CU proctor Prof Jasim Uddin said normalcy is prevailing on the campus and security has been tightened to avert any untoward incident. Defying restriction on rally and procession at RU, several hundred Shibir activists brought out a militant procession on the campus on Friday night weilding iron rods, batons, hockey sticks and lethal weapons to protest what they said armed attack on their president and finance secretary near the campus. The Shibir cadres chanted provocative slogans blaming the BCL men for the attack. They also took away a banner inscri-bed "Amra Muktijoddhar Santan" and flowers from the memorial of martyrs at the main gate during the procession.