Protest
#MeToo protest in Amsterdam after allegations at TV show
Hundreds of people protested Saturday in Amsterdam in a #MeToo demonstration sparked by allegations of sexual impropriety linked to a popular Dutch TV talent show.
The demonstration on Amsterdam’s Museumplein square was organized following reports of sexual harassment, ranging from WhatsApp messages to an allegation of rape, linked to “The Voice of Holland.”
The popular show was taken off the air two weeks ago after women accused two panelists who have appeared on the show in recent years and its pianist and band leader of inappropriate and unwanted sexual advances.
The two coaches, both popular Dutch performers, have denied wrongdoing. The bandleader apologized and resigned from the show.
READ: An updated ‘Coming 2 America’ for a #MeToo world
While a number of women have made complaints to law enforcement authorities, prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will charge anybody.
The scandal has led to calls in the Netherlands for more action to make workplaces safer for women.
Labor union FNV said this week that “nearly five years after #MeToo, shockingly little has changed in tackling workplace sexual intimidation” and called on the government to tighten laws.
READ: Indian journalist acquitted of defamation in #MeToo case
FNV vice president Kitty Jong said that the allegations about “The Voice Of Holland” clearly show “that women in vulnerable positions have too few resources to address sexual harassment.”
DU students demand end to bullying, harassment in guestrooms
Dhaka University (DU) students Thursday demanded that the authority takes action to banish the practice of bullying and harassment in the guestrooms of its dormitories.
Some students of DU's 2020-21 session staged a demonstration in the evening, forming a human chain in front of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture.
They demanded justice for Aktarul Islam Liton, a fresher of the mass communication and journalism department, who fell senseless in a guest room as a result of ragging yesterday.
Hassan Enam, a student of the Islamic history department, said: "The culture of abuse, humiliation, and harassment of first-year residential students by the senior students at guest rooms has to end."
Read: Bangladesh, Myanmar agree to accelerate citizenship verification of Rohingya refugees
Nafisa Islam Sakafi, a student of the philosophy department, said: "The studentship of those who tortured our classmate Akhtar should be cancelled. We want the administration to take action to stop the practice of abuse at guestrooms."
Rifat Rashid, a student of the international relations department, said: "Many of us cannot afford to stay outside the dormitories. But we are being tortured and humiliated through this so-called guestroom culture."
SUST 'problems' to be solved soon, but VC's removal 'a different matter'
The problems of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) students in Sylhet will be solved soon, said Education Minister Dipu Moni Wednesday.
However, the minister said the resignation or removal of the vice-chancellor (VC) is a different issue. "If one VC leaves, another one will come."
"The solution to students' problems does not depend on whether a VC stays or not. So the problems need to be solved," Dipu told the media during a press briefing at her residence Wednesday.
The minister said she wants to solve the problems, including accommodation and food quality issues, facing the students. "I am also ready to sit with the students whenever they want, as they are physically and emotionally exhausted now."
The education minister said the students' movement was logical. "But the police attack on the students was unacceptable as many students got injured."
Asked about the resignation of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed, the sole demand of the students and they would also say their sole problem, the minister said, "There are various processes for the removal of the VC. The VC has been appointed by the president, who is the chancellor of the university. We will see what we can do about it after solving the students' problems."
She said the cases filed against the protesting students during the movement will not affect their future. "I will talk about the withdrawal of the cases."
"We got a chance to look into the problems (of students) through what happened at SUST. This is not just their problem alone, as all public universities are facing residential and food crises. We want to move forward by solving all the problems," the minister said.
READ: 5 ex-SUST students granted bail
Meanwhile, the five former students of SUST were granted bail on Wednesday evening. The alumni were arrested from Dhaka, on the charge of sending money to the protesting students at the university.
Meanwhile, over two dozen SUST students who went on fast unto death ended their week-long hunger strike on Wednesday.
The students embarked on fast-unto-death on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of the SUST vice-chancellor over the police crackdown on their fellows.
Around 10.20am on Wednesday, the students broke their fast after former SUST Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal gave them water to drink.
READ: Police attack on SUST students: Zafar Iqbal criticizes teachers for their role
The eminent writer and his wife Yasmeen Huq, also a former SUST teacher, came to the university in Sylhet from Dhaka around 4am and met the protesting students.
Police attack on SUST students: Zafar Iqbal criticizes teachers for their role
Eminent writer and former professor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Md Zafar Iqbal has expressed annoyance over the role of the university teachers during the police attack on protesting students.
"It’s very discouraging when police attacked the students, the teachers didn’t come forward…they should’ve come forward to save them. Not a single teacher did it. There’s no reason for a teacher to be so spineless," Zafar Iqbal said.
He said this while talking to reporters after the students broke their hunger on Wednesday.
Addressing the protesting students, he said, "The young generation of Bangladesh is behind you. All people are behind you. Get well soon. Set an example. Other universities in Bangladesh will learn from the example."
Regarding the demand for removal of VC Farid Uddin, he said, "The government has said they’ll accept the demands and the demands include VC’s removal."
But the government also has its own technical issues, political issues, for which they may follow a process, he said, adding the government removed the VC of Gopalganj in one way and removed another VC in another way.
"So it’s their business. My primary concern was whether I could get the students out of the hunger strike."
READ: SUST students end hunger strike
In response to a question whether outsiders had been fueling the movement, Zafar Iqbal said, "I have seen they’re ordinary students. There’s no other ambition in them. Police attacked them so ruthlessly. So, there’s resentment in their minds. That’s why they’re carrying out this movement. Their demand is 100% logical."
Zafar Iqbal said, "When I retired three years ago, I wrote a letter to the VC. In the letter, I said a lot of things. I wrote there clearly that if you don’t do this, the anger that the students have now will burst into protests. My words have come true."
Around 10.20am on Wednesday, the students broke their fast after former SUST Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal gave them water to drink.
The eminent writer and his wife Yasmeen Huq, also a former SUST teacher, came to the university in Sylhet from Dhaka around 4am and met the protesting students.
The students embarked on fast-unto-death on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of SUST Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed over police crackdown on their fellows.
Three days later, three more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike.
The strike was launched after police swooped on the protesting students, charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets. On the other hand, police filed a case against 300 unnamed protesting students.
The alleged attack was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university’s IICT building, and it had left 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and cops.
Zafrin Ahmed, a provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints.
She later resigned from her post, citing health issues.
READ: Administration moves to shut down SUST protest: 5 alumni booked for financially backing movement
Provost Zafrin's removal was one of the initial demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now spread to the general students as well.
Administration moves to shut down SUST protest: 5 alumni booked for financially backing movement
As part of a series of coordinated moves since Monday to quell the unrest at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet, a case has been filed against five former students for allegedly sending money to the students’ movement demanding their VC's removal.
The case was filed at AMP's Jalalabad police station on Tuesday night, confirmed OC Nazmul Huda Khan.
They were arrested from different areas of Dhaka on Monday and Tuesday.
The arrestees are Reza Nur Moin, 31, son of Moin Uddin of Bogura district, Habibur Rahman, 26, son of Matier Rahman Khan, Nazmul Sakib, 32, son of Mizanur Rahman of Khulna district, AKM Maruf Hossain, 28, son of Mosharraf of Mirpur in Dhaka and Foysal Ahmed, 27, son of Sadiqul Islam.
READ: Long march from Dhaka to Sylhet Wednesday in support of SUST students
All the arrestees were taken to Sylhet’s Jalalabad Police Station for interrogation, said police.
A team of CID took them there around 6 pm and handed them over to police, said Nisharul Arif, Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP).
It was clearly part of a series of moves taken by the administration to force the students into ending the protest by starving it of sustenance -for all the amount of passion and courage the protesters have shown, any movement to survive needs financing, among other things.
With the move against the 5 former students, the authorities have not just moved to cut off their funding. It was in addition to making 6 mobile financial services and banking accounts the students were using to collect the funds inaccessible anyway, and so the arrests are likely meant to serve as examples for others not to step forward in support of the movement.
Also on Monday it became known that the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, which was voluntarily providing much-needed medical services to the students on hunger strike from January 19, had informed them that they would no longer be doing so. The revelations had come at the end of a day when surprisingly, there was no contact between the students and the government - specifically the department of Education Minister Dipu Moni, who till Sunday had expressed an overt willingness to engage with the students.
But now it seems the government would prefer to follow a scorched earth policy with the students till they are forced to yield. Whether they will is another matter.
The students embarked on a fast-unto-death on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of SUST Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed over a police crackdown on its students.
The students vowed to continue with their hunger strike till the VC quits.
The hunger strike was launched on January 19 by 24 students and later one of them had to leave due to family obligations. On January 22, three more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike
The strike was launched after police swooped on the protesting students, charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets.
READ: 5 ex-SUST students held in Dhaka as impasse continues
The alleged attack was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university’s IICT building, and it had left 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and cops.
Zafrin Ahmed, a provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints.
She later resigned from her post, citing health issues.
Provost Zafrin Ahmed’s removal was one of the initial demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now spread to the general students as well.
SUST protest: Proctor-led team fails to reach food, medicines to embattled VC
The agitating students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Monday prevented a team, led by its proctor, from taking food to the vice-chancellor who been confined to his residence.
In the evening Proctor Alamgir Kabir, an associate professor, first went to the students to try to persuade them to end their fast-unto-VC’s resignation protest. The students refused to break the fast and instead locked into an argument with the official team.
Later the team tried to get into the VC’s residence with food, beverages and medicines but it failed to go through the human chain surrounding the place, witnesses said.
READ: SUST unrest: Students won’t ‘leave campus’ until VC resigns
The proctor said they were concerned about the health of the VC and other teachers trapped inside the residence. One of them already fell ill, he said adding that the VC also has heart disease and his medicines have almost run out.
“If we could get in, we could manage to get him some medicines. But there is way now,” he said
Meanwhile, at 3.30 pm on Monday, Iliasur Rahman Ilias, councillor of ward 6 of Sylhet City Corporation and Mokhlesur Rahman Kamran, councillor of ward 9 went to visit the VC with foods but they had to return back from the gate because of students’ protest.
A group of students of have been on hunger strike for the sixth day Monday with several of them hospitalised as they fell sick.
The students vowed to continue the hunger strike until SUST VC Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed resigns.
The hunger strike was launched on January 19, three days after police swooped on the protesting students charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets.
The attack was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university’s IICT building.
The clash left at least 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and police personnel.
A provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints.
READ: SUST teachers’ association urges govt to probe ‘police action’ on students
She has since the resigned from her post, citing health issues.
Provost Zafrin Ahmed’s removal was one of the initial demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now spread to the general students as well.
Although there was an hour-long virtual meeting between Education Minister Dipu Moni and the protesting students early Sunday, no solution is in sight yet to break the protracted standoff on the campus.
After the meeting, the students remained stuck to their previous decision not to break the fast until he steps down, representatives of the dissenting students told UNB.
They claimed that no discussion was held at the meeting over the VC’s removal or sending him on leave.
The students said they want to continue the discussion but they will not break the fast.
Dipu suggested the students submit their demands in a written form and then she will go for the next step.
Meanwhile, the University Teachers Network held a symbolic hunger strike to express solidarity with the protesting students demanding the resignation of the embattled VC on Monday.
Teachers gathered in front of Aparajeyo Bangla monument from 12 PM to 3 pm.
The teachers’ association of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) urged the government to form a neutral committee to investigate the police action on protesting students on January 16.
The association said this after a meeting at the central auditorium of the university on Sunday.
The teachers demanded the government take actions against the accused after the investigation.
The association announced a four-point charter of demands from the teachers to solve the ongoing unrest on the campus.
They sought the government's assistance to do what it takes to break the hunger strike of the protesting students.
The association said the government has the jurisdiction over the vice-chancellor’s resignation but it urges an immediate step in this regard.
It also urged not to take any violent actions against the students.
SUST teachers’ association urges govt to probe ‘police action’ on students
The teachers’ association of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) urged the government to form a neutral probe body to investigate the police action on protesting students on January 16.
The association said this after holding a meeting at the central auditorium of the university on Sunday.
The teachers demanded the government take actions against the accused after the investigation.
The association announced a four-point charter of demands from the teachers to solve the ongoing unrest in the campus:
They sought the government's assistance to do what it takes to break the hunger strike of the protesting students.
The association said the government has the jurisdiction over the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation but it urges an immediate step in this regard.
It also urged not to take any violent actions against the students.
The unrest at the University deepened on Sunday evening as its protesting students disconnected electricity supply to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence as he refused to step down as per their demand.
On day five of the hunger strike, 15 of the 24 students on hunger strike since Wednesday 3 pm remained admitted to different hospitals in the city.
On Sunday afternoon, four more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike taking their total number to 27. Earlier, one of the 24 hunger strikers had to withdraw from the strike due to his relative’s sickness.
The students went on the strike unto death demanding resignation of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed over the police action on the protesting students as his behest on January 16.
The police charged batons, fired sound grenades and shotgun bullets to disperse the protest on Sunday afternoon (Jan 16) while students reacted by throwing brick chips at them. At least 40 people were hurt, including teachers, students and police personnel during the clash
Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed was confined to a locked room by the students for three hours before that.
A provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial troubles as she reportedly misbehaved with some students on January 13. She has already resigned from her post, citing health issues.
Zafrin’s removal as the provost of the residential hall for female students was one of the principal demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now escalated to the general students as well.
SUST stalemate: Students’ virtual meeting with minister brings no solution yet
Although there was an hour-long virtual meeting between Education Minister Dipu Moni and protesting students of SUST early Sunday, no solution is in sight yet to break the long standoff on the campus.
After the meeting, the students who are on a hunger strike since Wednesday demanding resignation of Vice Chancellor Fariduddin Ahmed remained stuck to their previous decision not to break the fast until he steps down, representatives of the dissenting students told UNB.
They claimed that no discussion was held at the meeting over the VC’s removal or sending him on leave.
The students said they want to continue the discussion but they will not break the fast. They will brief reporters this afternoon, if everything goes well, they added.
Dipu Moni suggested the students submit their demands in a written form and then she will go for the next step.
READ: SUST unrest: Resolution a Zoom call away?
The virtual meeting was held in presence of a delegation from Awami League, led by its central organising secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel.
Briefing reporters at 2:30 am after the meeting, Shafiul Alam said 23 of the students have already fallen sick and the number will rise further if they continue it.
The minister assured the students of resolving the crisis and requested them to end the hunger strike as she is ready to hear their problems, Alam said.
Shahriar Abedin, Apurbo, Mir Rana, Sabbir, Umar Faruk, Yasir Sarkar, among others, joined the meeting on behalf of the students.
On Saturday, the minister held a meeting with a delegation of teachers from SUST at her residence at 6:05pm when she urged the dissenting students to sit with her for talks to resolve the current standoff.
Earlier in the day, the students brought out a symbolic coffin procession on the campus. Around 8pm, they lit candles at Golchattar as part of their protests.
Meanwhile, 17 of the 24 students – already on hunger strike since Wednesday afternoon – were hospitalised.
READ: 17 students still at hospitals as SUST unrest continues
On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni talked to the students and said she wants a solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
On Monday, the students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of the university, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The students also turned down the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the directive to leave their dormitories.
Currently, the students are staying on the campus.
SUST was supposed to shut down following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on January 16. The students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12pm the next day.
Only VC's removal can solve this crisis, say SUST students
As some among them completed day three of a hunger strike, the protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Friday remained resolute around their sole demand: nothing except the resignation, or otherwise removal of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed can lead to a resolution of the crisis.
It was a day when students got to speak with Education Minister Dipu Moni herself, as she reached out to the agitating students over phone at around 3 pm to try and end the impasse.
During the conversation, Dipu Moni said she wants a peaceful solution to the issue as soon as possible, and was willing to talk to the students 'directly' - i.e. in-person - over the matter, if they so wish.
The protesting students were indeed receptive to the idea of a meeting with the education minister, and were even willing to travel to Dhaka to meet her.
But in the evening they came away from that position, and said that if the minister wants to solve the problem, she had to visit the SUST premises, or hold the meeting virtually.
“We will not go to Dhaka - the discussion will be held in Sylhet, not in Dhaka," said Shahriar Abedin, a spokesperson for the protesters.
Read: Rally held at DU in solidarity with SUST students
Earlier, a group of Bangladesh Awami League leaders led by its central organizing secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel spoke separately with the students and then Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin regarding the issue.
So far, 13 of the 24 SUST students who commenced a hunger strike since Wednesday ohave been hospitalized.The protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down.
In the small hours of Friday, the protesting students also brought out a torch rally and burnt the effigy pf the VC on the campus.
Hours before, a delegation of teachers met the students and requested them to break their fast. But the students didn’t respond to their request.
On Monday, the protesting students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed. The president is the chancellor of the university.
The students also rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period that came with a directive to leave the halls.
Read: RU suspends in-person classes, but students to remain on campus
That came following a clash on the campus between police and protesting students on Sunday (Jan 16). In the wake of the police action on its premises, students were asked to leave their halls of residence by 12pm the next day.
By then however, the situation had gone well beyond the control of the authorities. Students rejected the closure notice and not only stayed back on the campus - the next day they organised under a new demand that differentiates the movement since Monday from what happened previously.
This renewed movement was organised under one sole demand, that is the resignation of the VC, and nothing has yet worked to convince them to come off it.
Torch procession held at RU in solidarity with students of SUST
Leaders and activists of left leaning political organisations of Rajshahi University have staged a torch procession protesting the attack on the students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).
The procession started from 'Amtala' behind the central library of the university on Monday at 7.30 pm. Later, at the end of a tour of the campus, a demonstration was held at the 'Zoha Chattar' of the university.
Leaders and activists expressed their full support to all the demands of SUST students including resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Fariduddin Ahmed.
Addressing the demonstration, Md. Shakil, joint convenor of 'Biplobi Chhatra Maitri' of the university said the students of SUST were attacked by police without hearing their logical demands.
"Many student were seriously injured. I strongly condemn such a heinous attack. I also fully support their demands," Shakil said.
READ: SUST: Students reject closure notice, declare VC 'unwanted' on campus
Shakila Khatun, president of Chhatra Union's RU branc, said: "The university is a place for free thought. But in SUST, the students who were agitating for logical demands have been attacked. This is not an isolated incident, This is the same picture across the country. A movement starts with a logical demand, and then the police force and student wing of the ruling party attacks them."
Besides, Ridom Shahriar, convenor of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front's RU unit, and Fuad Ratul, the organising secretary of the same organisations, also addressed the protest rally. Among them, many leaders and activists of the Left Alliance were present in the program.
READ: ‘Police action’ on SUST students: Protest rallies held at DU
Earlier on that day, students from different departments formed a human chain in front 'Shaheed Buddhijibi Smritifalak' of the university protesting the same issue.