Dengue outbreak: Effigies of health minister, Dhaka mayors burnt at DU
A platform of students of Dhaka University today burnt effigies of the health minister and mayors of Dhaka south and north city corporations demanding their resignation over “failure in controlling dengue outbreak” in the capital and across the country.
The students under the platform ‘Muktijuddho Mancha’ formed a human chain in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on DU campus around 11:00am and later burnt the effigies, reports our photojournalist from the spot.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. “Everyday people are getting affected by dengue and one student of Dhaka University died of the mosquito-borne disease recently, but Health Minister Zahid Maleque has compared the breeding capacity of Aedes mosquitos with the Rohingyas while DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon tried to discard dengue outbreak by branding it as a rumour,” a press release of the platform said.
“The minister and the mayors cannot shun their duties with such inappropriate comments,” the release said.
The students’ platform demanded immediate resignation of the health minister and the two Dhaka mayors for their “incompetence in controlling dengue outbreak”.
JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY
Meanwhile, hundreds of students in Jahangirnagar University today protested against the inaction of the university authorities amid the ongoing dengue outbreak in the city.
They brought out a silent rally from the university’s Central Shaheed Minar premises around 10:00am and later staged a sit-in in front of Old Administrative Building till 2:30pm to press home their six-point demand, our JU correspondent reports.
Their demands include taking prompt action in regulating outbreak of dengue in each hall, introducing dengue tests immediately at the university’s medical centre and compensation to the family of U Khein Nu, a JU student who died from dengue yesterday.
The students also said they would boycott classes and examinations if their demands are not met immediately.
Irfanul Islam, a first-year student of the Department of Drama and Dramatics at JU, said, “We don’t want to lose any of our friends like U Khein Nu. This is why we are asking the authorities to take proper steps.”
Amerul Abedin Akash, a first-year student of Comparative Literature and Culture department, alleged that one of the teachers of the university blamed them of doing politics.
“It’s unexpected. We are not doing politics here, we just came here to protest the death of a fellow student who was affected by dengue in the campus,” he said.
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