Staff Reporter :
A delegation of 12 teachers from the University Teachers’ Network visited the Detective Branch (DB) office at Minto Road on Saturday afternoon, seeking information regarding three coordinators of the Anti-Discriminatory Students Movement.
The teachers arrived at the DB office at approximately 4:00 PM. Despite their efforts, they were unable to meet with DB Police Chief Mohammad Harun-ar-Rashid, who declined their request for a meeting due to a busy schedule.
The delegation spent around 20 minutes at the office before leaving without having the opportunity to speak with Harun.
Professor Giti Ara Nasrin from Dhaka University’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department, who was part of the delegation, expressed concern about the students’ whereabouts. She explained to the media that the visit was made on behalf of the University Teachers’ Network to address these worries.
Giti expressed her frustration, stating, “We have learned through the media that the three students, who are currently unwell, have been brought to the DB office from Ganashasthya Hospital for their additional safety. We have come here to understand the rationale behind this transfer.”
She continued to lament the situation, “Upon our arrival at the DB office, we found that the office head, Harun-ar-Rashid, was present. Despite being informed of our presence, he refused to meet with us. We were advised to approach him by intercepting his car as he was leaving the office, which we found to be an undignified suggestion.”
Giti further emphasized the indignity of the situation, saying, “As university teachers and guardians of our students, we should not have to resort to stopping an official’s car to seek answers. We are simply trying to understand the reason behind this incident. When we requested another DB official to ask Harun-ar-Rashid about the situation, we were met with indifference. Harun-ar-Rashid did not show even the basic courtesy of addressing our concerns in person.”
The delegation of 12 members from the University Teachers Network included Professor Giti Ara Nasrin Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University, Professor Tanjimuddin Khan of the Department of International Relations, Associate Professor SaminaLutfa of the Department of Sociology, Assistant Professor RushadFaridi of the Department of Economics, Assistant Professor Kajli Shehrin Islam of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.
Jahangirnagar University Professor MirzaTaslima Sultana and Saeed Ferdous, Khulna University Professor Abdullah Harun Chowdhury, Jagannath University Teacher Arani Semanti Khan, BRAC University Lecturer Saimum Reza, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) Teacher Oliur Sun and University of British Columbia Tamara Maksud were also present.
