At a press conference held on Wednesday, February 19, at the Liaquat Ali Auditorium of Khulna Press Club, Abu Afsan Md. Yahia, Senior Vice President of the Central Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), made a written statement, holding the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement responsible for the recent violence at Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (KUET).
He stated, “Based on the testimonies of the victims, media reports, and available photo and video footage, we have gathered that Tuesday’s unfortunate incident began when a procession under the banner of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement suddenly attacked three JCD supporters—Rahul Javed, Ifaz, and Yusuf.”
Responding to various questions from journalists, he remarked, “Through student movements, we have stepped into a new Bangladesh. If we arbitrarily claim that student politics will no longer exist, and if qualitative changes are not introduced in Bangladesh’s politics based on the July-August movement, then continuing politics in the future will be difficult.”
JCD, he claimed, has always pursued positive politics, and the real crisis will emerge if the spirit of the July-August movement is not upheld. “JCD wants to engage in student politics in every campus while embracing the July-August spirit. We want an inclusive society where the opinions of all political parties are reflected. If only one organization, like the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), is allowed to engage in politics while others are deprived, it would be a betrayal of the blood of those martyrs who died in mass uprisings,” he added.
At the press conference, JCD Senior Joint General Secretary Shyamal Malum stated that the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has a structured committee in KUET, making it a fully political student organization. He further alleged, “They are preparing to form a political party and contest future elections. How can they, while actively operating within KUET, demand a ban on student politics?”
A 74-member KUET committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, signed by Hasnat Abdullah and Arif Sohel, was recently made public. According to Malum, this committee’s existence proves that political activities are ongoing within KUET.
He also referred to a viral video from Tuesday’s incident, stating, “The footage clearly shows JCD activists walking peacefully, while the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s procession approaches. Their convener, Omar Faruq, is seen pointing towards the JCD members, inciting others to chase them, leading to the subsequent conflict.”
Malum further pointed out that Hasnat Abdullah, the central convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, had remarked the previous day, “Those who act like Chhatra League will meet the same fate as Chhatra League.” In response, Malum asserted, “We have successfully proven to the nation that the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement was entirely responsible for yesterday’s events and that their actions mirrored those of Chhatra League.”
Among others present at the press conference were JCD Vice Presidents Habibul Bashar and Safi Islam, Joint General Secretaries Sahed Hasan, Hasanur Rahman, Shahadat Hossain, Sohel Rana, and Nuruzzaman Chandon, as well as KUET students Rahul Javed, Ifan Faisal, Sheikh Jilani, and Masum.
