JU students protest Shibir presence, declare campus off-limits for group

Students at Jahangirnagar University (JU) staged a midnight protest, declaring the Islami Chhatra Shibir unwanted on campus after the group announced its president, secretary general, and publicity secretary for the JU unit last night.

The protestors began their procession around 1:30am from Bot Tola, marching through campus streets and culminating at the Shaheed Minar.

During the procession, students chanted slogans including, "League geche jei pothe, Shibir jabe sei pothe; Hasina ar Nizami, manobotar ashami." (Shibir will walk the same path as League; Hasina and Nizami, both criminals of humanity)

Following the march, a brief rally was held at the university's Shaheed Minar.

Addressing the gathering, Faiza Mehjabin, a student from the Urban and Regional Planning Department, stated, "Jamaat and Shibir's hands are stained with the blood of the 1971 genocide. In the 1980s, Shibir engaged in violent activities to silence liberal students. Now, they dare to reappear on campus. We do not welcome their presence here."

Amartya Roy, president of the JU unit of Bangladesh Students' Union, added, "Shibir has issued a press release filled with falsehoods, claiming a return."

"A political group with such a legacy must seek atonement, whether through social or legal means, before engaging in campus activities," Amartya added.

"They must first apologise to JU's 14,000 students before they even consider stepping foot here," he said.