Students of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) in Gazipur staged a protest demanding the dismissal and trial of Tapasi Tabassum Urmi, the recently suspended Assistant Commissioner (Executive Magistrate) of the Lalmonirhat District Commissioner’s Office. The protest took place on Monday evening, October 6, with students marching through various roads on the campus and holding a brief rally in front of the main gate.
Mohammad Shahjalal, a talented student from the Electrical and Electronic Engineering department, addressed the crowd, criticizing Urmi for her comments in support of those allegedly responsible for the July Revolution. He stated, “Urmi is speaking on behalf of those who were involved in the killing of 1,500 martyrs during the July Revolution. Speaking against Shaheed Abu Sayeed is an affront to the memory of those martyrs.”
Another student, Jamil, expressed concern about fascist influences still lingering on the campus and warned that if the university administration does not take swift action against those responsible for past abuses, it will bear the consequences.
Following the protest, the students announced a prayer session at the university’s central mosque for all martyrs of the anti-discrimination movements, including Shaheed Abrar Fahad.
The protests were sparked by a controversial Facebook post made by Urmi on October 5, in which she referred to Abu Sayeed as a “terrorist” and criticized the caretaker government. She wrote, “Abu Sayeed, a troublemaker and terrorist, who was killed by his own group during chaos, is now being hailed as a martyr! Should we accept this?”
Urmi also criticized the Chief Advisor of the caretaker government for visiting Abu Sayeed’s family, questioning the expenditure on such trips.
In response to the public outrage, Urmi made her social media posts private but defended her comments in a statement, asserting that she was speaking in defense of the spirit of the Liberation War. She stated that if standing up for the Liberation War costs her job, she has no regrets.
