Various student organisations have reached a consensus about remaining “united” with the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement to thwart any “conspiracy” against the interim government formed through the student movement.
They vowed to remain on the streets together to prevent any attempt at a “counter-coup” until the interim government is stabilised.
The decisions were taken at a meeting between two young advisers of the interim government, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, and the leaders of the student organisations at the Teacher-Student Center (TSC) auditorium in Dhaka University last night.
Apart from these two coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, the platform that spearheaded the recent quota reform protest, members of its liaison committee also participated in the meeting.
Leaders of at least 20 student organisations including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), Chhatra Federation, Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti, Islami Chhatra Andolon, Khilafat Chhatra Majlis took part in the meeting.
After the meeting, several leaders told The Daily Star that the anti-discrimination student movement had a pledge that it would be dissolved as soon as the movement was over.
After the fall of the government, a kind of feud has arisen among the student organisations over the anti-discrimination student movement banner. But since there is still an attempt to make “something happen”, everyone has agreed to remain united under this banner for a while longer.
“Student organisations shall refrain from holding separate processions or programmes under their respective banners. Different student organisations proposed different time periods, from one month to three months. All have agreed that they will remain together till the interim government is stabilised,” Salman Siddique, president of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front told The Daily Star.
The meeting, attended by the leaders of both right-wing and left-wing student organisations, also discussed how August 15 will be observed, whether there will be a National Mourning Day as before or not.
They also decided to refrain from giving attacking speeches to each other and maintaining friendly relationships.
Sources inside the meeting say that the majority of the student organisations have voted in favour of not observing the National Mourning Day on August 15.
Apart from this, there are discussions among the students about how the student movement will be conducted in the coming days. Most leaders opined against banning student politics.
Sources of the meeting said there was a discussion on whether Islami Chhatra Shibir can engage in politics on the Dhaka University campus or not. Everyone agreed to discuss this matter at a later date.
“We will remain alert and resist any attempt to foil the mass uprising achieved in exchange of lives of students and people,” Salman Siddique told this newspaper.
