Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called upon the agitating students to return to their respective educational institutions shunning the path of movement on the streets, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said today.

“All the demands raised by the agitating students are logical and the process to implement those demands is underway. So, the students should return to their respective schools and colleges shunning the path of movement,” Kamal said quoting the premier. 

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He said this while addressing a press conference at his residence this evening in line with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.       

Terming the agitating students as the future of the nation, the home minister said they have upheld their courageous mentality by addressing a logical demand on the streets.

“They have done a lot. I hope, they will now return to their educational institutes,” the home minister said.

Responding to a query, he assured that the agitating students will not be victimised of harassment by the members of the law enforcement agencies.

He also called upon the headmasters, principals, governing body members of different schools and colleges and the parents to take steps so that the students are not encouraged to go for movement on the streets.

The minister also blamed a vested quarter for trying to cause “sabotage” by pampering the innocent students to go for the movement.

“Our security force will not shoulder any responsibility if any act of sabotage takes place in the name of the student movement,” Kamal said.

He said leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student fronts of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, are trying to influence the students’ movement to take it to another direction by misleading them.  

“Even they encouraged the students to take part in the movement wearing uniforms of their own schools and colleges and we have evidence in this regard,” he said.

Mentioning that the agitating students are under-aged, the minister said, “Waging movement is not their job. They should return to their homes before any untoward incident occurs”.

A total of 317 vehicles were vandalised and at least eight of those were set on fire, while Kafrul Police Station and policemen were attacked during the protests, he said.

“Despite these, our police force are engaged in controlling the situation upholding their highest patience,” Kamal said.

He alleged that a vested quarter is engaged in posting fake and baseless contents on their Facebook pages with abusive words to fulfill their political interest.

Besides, another group is supplying the agitating students with food expressing solidarity to their protest programmes, the minister also said.   

“We have come to know the identity of the vested group,” Kamal said, calling upon them to stop their activities for the sake of peace and stability in the country.

On Sunday, Abdul Karim alias Rajib Uddin, 18, and Dia Khanam Mim, 17, students of class-XII and class-XI respectively at Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College, were killed during a mad race between two buses on the Airport Road.

Prime Minister Hasina today gave Tk 20 lakh in family savings certificates in assistance to the grieving families when they met her at her office in Dhaka, Kamal said.

At that time, Dia’s father Jahangir also expressed his satisfaction as the agitating students raised their voices protesting the killing, the minister said.

Even, he (Jahangir) also requested the students to end the movement and return to their homes, Kamal added.