মঙ্গলবার, ০৩ ডিসেম্বর ২০২৪, ০৬:১৩ অপরাহ্ন
A group of students blocked the Rangpur-Dhaka highway demanding the appointment of an adviser to the interim government from the Rangpur division.
At around 12:30pm today (13 November), the procession took off from Rangpur’s Lalbagh area, through the Modern Mor road then reached the highway. They concluded their programme after an hour.
At the programme, some coordinators of Anti-discrimination Student Movement from Rangpur were present, including Imran Ahmed, Ashfaq Ahmed, Nahid Hasan Khandker, Imtiaz Ahmed, Yasir Arafat, Saiful Islam, Shariful Islam, among others.
The speakers demanded qualified people to be added to the government’s Advisory Council from the northern region, including Akhtar Hossain, a former social services secretary of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) and current member secretary of the National Citizen Committee.
They chanted slogans like “End discrimination”, “We want to see Akhtar Hossain as adviser”.
Earlier on 11 November, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement threatened waging a “North Bengal Blockade” programme if their demand of appointing an adviser to the interim government from the Rangpur division is not met.
Akhtar Hossain and Sarjis Alam, a key coordinator of the student movement, had urged the chief adviser to ensure that at least ten people from North Bengal be appointed to the government’s Advisory Council.
Speakers in today’s programme blamed the interim government for allegedly discriminating against the Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions as 13 of the advisers are from Chattogram.
Regional disparity would intensify if the interim government continues this way, they noted.
‘North Bengal Blockade’ warning continues
The protestors threatened to announce a programme to paralyse the Rangpur division through a larger blockade.
They pressed forth a number of demands on behalf of the student group from North Bengal aiming to eliminate regional discrimination.
The demands state that at least two to four advisers should be appointed from each of the two divisions of North Bengal; there shall be no regional discrimination in the appointment of bureaucrats and officers in various institutions of the government; each adviser must publicly disclose the progress of their work on a weekly basis, no adviser who is controversial or does not embrace the July Revolution can work with the interim government; and the Anti-discrimination Student Movement leaders from North Bengal should be consulted in formulating policies.
Earlier, in a Facebook post, Sarjis wrote, “13 advisers from only one division! Whereas there is no adviser from the 16 districts of Rangpur and Rajshahi division of North Bengal! Moreover, allies of murderer Hasina are also among the advisers!”
At the programme on 11 November, the students threatened to cut Rangpur division’s communication with the rest of the country if they did not receive a positive message about the appointment of advisers from the office of the chief adviser.
The students then said they would send a memorandum to the chief adviser on Wednesday (13 November) through the divisional and deputy commissioners and hold a tougher programme.
