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Left student leaders and activists continued their protests for the fourth day on Friday rejecting the Supreme Court’s May 27 verdict acquitting Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam of 1971 war crimes charges.

They also protested at the recent attacks on left student leaders and activists in Rajshahi and Chattogram.

At least 20 left student leaders and activists were injured when the demonstrations of the Democratic Students’ Alliance, a combine of seven left student organisations, came under attack on the Rajshahi University campus on May 27 and in front of Chattogram Press Club on May 28.

The student leaders organised separate protest programmes in Dhaka on the day and demanded immediate arrest of and exemplary punishment for the attackers.

Addressing a protest rally, jointly organised by the factions of Socialist Students’ Front led by Mukta Barai and Bangladesh Students’ Union led by Mahir Shahriar Reza at Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University, Mukta accused the interim government of ‘exonerating’ Azharul.

She also blamed Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jamaat leaders for carrying out attacks on the left student leaders and activists.

Barai claimed that Azharul’s acquittal was an act of exoneration and the interim government must accept the responsibility for it historically.

They brought out a procession on the DU campus after the rally.

Later, DU unit of Democratic Students’ Alliance held a rally at the same venue protesting at Azharul’s acquittal and demanding arrest of and exemplary punishment for the attackers in Rajshahi and Chattogram, reported DU Correspondent.

At the rally, DU unit Socialist Students’ Front convener Muzammel Haque said, ‘Student leaders are being attacked while protesting at Azharul’s acquittal and this politics of violence and occupation must end.’

Gonotantrik Odhikar Committee, meanwhile, issued a statement demanding exemplary punishment for the attackers.

The committee also questioned how an identified war criminal could be innocent.

Former Jahangirnagar University economics professor Anu Muhammad, retired professor of Sir Salimullah Medical College Harun-ur-Rashid, DU associate professor Samina Luthfa and other members of the committee issued the statement on behalf of the committee.     

Earlier in the morning, female leaders of four left student organisations, including Revolutionary Student Unity, Democratic Students’ Council, Bangladesh Students’ Union and Socialist Students’ Front, at a press conference at Madhu’s Canteen at Dhaka university protested at Azharul’s acquittal and the attacks on the protesters.

Democratic Students’ Council finance secretary Skaiya Islam and Bangladesh Students’ Union social welfare and environment affairs secretary Tilottama Iti read a written statement criticising the trial procedure for prosecuting the war crimes.

They alleged that the trial procedure for 1971 war crimes was imperfect and misused for political interest during the Awami League regime and also after the July uprising period.

‘We demand identified Shibir activists who attacked the Democratic Students’ Alliance protest demonstrations in RU and Chattogram be brought to justice immediately,’ read the statement, demanding immediate trial for July massacre and 1971 genocide according to international standards.

Bangladesh Students’ Union president Tamzid Haider Chanchol and its general secretary Shimul Kumbhkar, in a joint statement, said that the acquittal seriously questioned the impartiality of the court as he was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal in 2014.

A ‘Civil Solidarity Rally’, organised by Democratic Students’ Alliance, is scheduled to be held on Saturday on the DU campus against Azharul’s acquittal and the attacks on the protesters.