SLT Tuhin, Barisal ::
After the July Revolution of the anti-discrimination student movement, the streets of Barisal have suddenly become heated over several issues. Among them, it is worth mentioning - the students' stubborn program to achieve the 22-point demands at BOB, the students' protests and roadblocks during the complete shutdown of Shebam, and the burning of government notices, the tension between the anti-discrimination student movement and Chhatra Dal over the protest march in protest of the attack on KUET, the protest of IHT students at Launch Ghat in protest of the beating of classmates in a dispute over rent, the national elections, and the daily processions and rallies of BNP central leaders on several issues including bringing the prices of daily necessities to a tolerable level.
BNP, one of the largest political parties in the country, is demonstrating its strength through meetings and rallies in almost every upazila of the district demanding to bring the prices of daily necessities to a tolerable level, improve the law and order situation, announce a quick electoral roadmap, and hold national elections. On the other hand, Jamaat-e-Islami has held protest programs demanding the release of former acting secretary general Azharul Islam. All in all, the streets of Barisal have become increasingly tense.
According to sources, an extremely tense situation arose between the leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and Chhatra Dal on the campus of Barisal Government Syed Hatem Ali College on the afternoon of February 19 in protest against the terrorist attack on ordinary students of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology. Eyewitnesses said that the leaders and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement wanted to take out a procession. And when external students from another college came to the campus to join the procession, the followers of Chhatra Dal were angry. This led to a scuffle between the two sides.
SM Wahidur Rahman, district member secretary of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, "There was a program at the government Syed Hatem Ali College to protest the terrorist attack on students of Kuet. Some unexpected incidents took place there. Those who carried out the attack identified themselves as Chhatra Dal activists. After learning about the matter, the leaders of the metropolitan Chhatra Dal and we, the leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, came to the spot. Later, the misunderstanding was cleared through discussion. Metropolitan Chhatra Dal President Rezaul Karim Rony confirmed the authenticity of the information.
Torch procession :: Students held a torch procession and rally at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College (SEBAMEC) in Barisal on February 18 at around 11 pm to protest the attack on students at KUET. On the same day, at around 8:30 pm, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement held a protest march from the Barisal Central Shaheed Minar with the same demand. Students of Barisal University held a protest march with the same demand.
Fire in the notification \ For the past four days, students have been holding protests, roadblocks, rallies and human chains at Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College (SEBAMEC) as part of their ongoing complete shutdown program over the issue of resolving the teacher crisis. At the rally, the students said that their complete shutdown program will continue until their reasonable demands such as resolving the teacher crisis are met. The students also said that if the professional examination of the dental faculty on February 24 and the admission test of that faculty on February 28 are disrupted, the higher authorities will have to take responsibility. On the other hand, due to the students' complete shutdown program, the students have locked the administrative building of the college and the principal's office. As a result, all activities of the college are closed.
On Thursday, around 12 noon, agitating students held a protest march and blocked the road in front of the main gate of the hospital. The students said that there are 161 teachers in the college against the total 334 teachers. The remaining 173 posts are vacant. As a result, their teaching is being disrupted. In this situation, amid the ongoing complete shutdown of the students demanding to resolve the teacher crisis, a notification was issued on February 19 from the Health Department transferring six doctors to the college. The students claim that despite having experienced teachers, some inexperienced doctors have been appointed here. Which is a farce to the students' demands. Therefore, they set fire to it instead of complying with the notification.
Protest at launch pier \ Students of the Barisal Institute of Health Technology (IHT) staged a protest at the Barisal river port on the afternoon of February 19 in protest against the beating of their female classmates. In the face of their protest, the staff left the MV Shuvoraj-9 launch tied up at the pier and fled. Later, the situation normalized with the intervention of the river port authorities, naval police and IHT principal at night. The students said that on February 16, eight of them came to Dhaka from Barisal on the MV Shuvoraj-9 launch. At that time, the launch staff gave them four tickets more than the contract. The next day, the staff of Shuvoraj-9 launch came to know about it after they got off the launch. After that, they kept calling continuously all day long demanding money for those four tickets. At one stage, the students were shown various types of threats on their mobile phones.
The students also said that after finishing work, they all came to Sadarghat in Dhaka on the evening of February 17 and boarded the MV Manami launch to come to Barisal, when several staff members of the Shuvoraj-9 launch attacked eight of their students. At that time, four or five launch staff members, including female classmates Baishakhi and Pooja, were attacked. Following this incident, the classmates boarded the MV Shuvoraj-9 launch anchored at the Barisal river port. At one stage, all the staff members skillfully escaped from the launch. Eyewitnesses said that the students took positions on different floors of the launch on the ghat's platoon and kept shouting slogans demanding justice for the attack. Barisal Sadar Naval Police OC Sanatan Chandra Sarkar said that since the incident happened in Sadarghat in Dhaka, legal action will have to be taken there.
Students adamant on 22-point demands \ Protesting the autocratic attitude of the Barisal University (BU) administration and the inaction to rehabilitate Awami fascists, the students have held a stubborn program to realize their 22-point demands. The agitating students have demanded the speedy implementation of the previously announced 22-point demands, including the failure to bring a budget to resolve the classroom and residential hall crisis, the filing of false terrorism cases against students, and the failure to ensure the trial of the terrorist Chhatra League. They have also warned that if their demands are not met, the students will realize their demands through a united movement. On the other hand, in a press release on Wednesday night, the agitating students mentioned that if the case filed on the orders of Barisal University Vice-Chancellor Professor Shuchita Sharmin is not withdrawn, they will be forced to carry out tough programs including road blockades. Earlier, on February 14, the agitating students in front of the BU VC's residence broke the VC's gate and entered inside. In that incident, a case was filed at the police station on behalf of the BU VC against the agitating students.
Chhatra Dal protest \ District Chhatra Dal leaders and activists held a protest march in the city on February 18 afternoon to protest the anarchy and hartal of the autocratic Awami League. Chhatra Dal leaders said that the degenerate autocratic Awami League, without being ashamed of its actions or apologizing, is conspiring against the country. It is trying to create anarchy again by calling a hartal. Sheikh Hasina alone must take responsibility for all this.
Central BNP leader is roaming the field \ BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman announced 31-point leaflets for repairing the state structure BNP National Executive Committee member and BNP nominated candidate for the 9th National Parliament election from Barisal-1 constituency, freedom fighter Engineer Abdus Sobhan, is roaming the field to deliver leaflets to every door. For the past one month, he has been holding opinion exchange meetings in every union of Gournadi and Agailajhara upazilas and neighborhoods almost every day. In continuation of that, Engineer Abdus Sobhan, speaking as the chief guest at a meeting held at Sarikal Port on Thursday, said that the people of the country do not understand reforms, they want peace, good governance and elections. The sooner the national elections are held in the country, the sooner peace and order will return to the country. He also said that there is no alternative to keeping the prices of daily necessities tolerable, improving the law and order situation and announcing an election roadmap quickly. Addressing the interim government, Abdus Sobhan said, "Just as the water of the Nile River is not blue, Jamaat-e-Islami is not an Islamic party. So if anyone wants to remain in power with them, then resign and participate in the elections. If the people give you their verdict, we will accept it."
On the other hand, a protest program has been held in the city demanding the release of Azharul Islam, the former acting secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. After the July Revolution of the anti-discrimination student movement, the streets of Barisal have suddenly become hot again with various programs by students and political leaders on several issues.
