Left-leaning student groups protest acquittal of Jamaat leader Azharul

Leaders and activists of several left-leaning student organisations, including from Dhaka University, brought out a protest march today following the acquittal of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam in a war-crimes case.

The march that started around 5:00pm from the Madhur Canteen premises, went through key points of the campus, including the Shahbagh intersection, and concluded with a brief rally at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture.

Speaking at the rally, Shimul Kumbhakar, general secretary of a faction of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, said, "We saw that the government has acquitted ATM Azharul, who was said to have been a commander of the Al-Badr force during the Liberation War. Now they are claiming that he actually worked in favour of Bangladesh."

"We condemn the interim government for trying to rewrite history 54 years later with such narratives," he added.

Shimul further said, "We have seen how certain pro-Pakistani political elements from 1971 -- Jamaat, Shibir, and similar groups -- have suddenly reappeared on the political stage. They are even claiming to have engineered the July uprising."

"If the interim government continues to release Razakars and Al-Badr members from prison like this, and forgives their crimes entirely, then they will face the same fate as the fallen fascist Hasina regime," he added.

Participants from Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Biplobi Chhatra Moitree, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Gonotantrik Chhatra Council, and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation chanted slogans such as "Razakars of '71 are traitors of Bangladesh," "Jamaat-Shibir-Razakars ruined July," and "There is no place for mass murderers in the Bangladesh of '71."

Protesters were reportedly obstructed by police at the intersection, but broke the barrier and continued to the Raju sculpture.

There was a momentary face-off between the protesters and police at the time.

Khalid Monsur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, denied any obstruction, saying, "I am not aware of any police intervention in the procession, and there was no such order," he told The Daily Star.

Addressing the crowd, Jabir Ahmed Jubel, general secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Moitree, said, "We witnessed how the man who was sentenced to death on three separate charges has now been acquitted from all of them."

"The people of this country will never forget 1971. Any government that sides with those who committed genocide in '71 under the pretext of an uprising will be rejected by the people," he added.