Rangpur: The anti-discrimination student movement protested by blocking the Dhaka-Rangpur highway here today demanding appointment of advisers from the northern region in the interim government. Many students participated in the program for the third consecutive day today and raised voice against the ‘extreme discrimination’ due to the non-appointment of advisers from Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions in the interim government.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, students from different educational institutions gathered at Lalbag Intersection and took a protest procession to Modern Intersection via Begum Rokeya University. Later, they blocked the Dhaka-Rangpur highway and sat down at Modern Intersection. Student coordinators Imran Ahmed, Ashfaq Ahmed, Nahid Hasan Khandaker, Imtiaz Ahmed, Yasir Arafat, Carmichael College students Saiful Islam and Shariful Islam, among others, addressed the rally.
The speakers complained that the interim government is discriminating against Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions.
Although thirteen of the advisors are from Chittagong division, none has been taken from the northern region. They said if the interim government continues like this, regional discrimination will increase further.
Imran Ahmed stated that Rangpur is the birthplace of the July mass uprising that sparked with the blood of Shaheed Abu Sayeed on July 16, instantly uniting the nation against the fascist regime of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He highlighted that on August 10, the chief adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus came to Rangpur and said that Rangpur will be one of the best districts in the country, number one. However, he expressed concern that there is not a single adviser in the government to speak for the people of the Rangpur region, leading to gross neglect.
The speakers demanded that several qualified people from the northern region, including former social service secretary of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Akhter Hossain from North Bengal, be appoin
ted as advisors. If the demands were not met, the protesters threatened to announce a program to block roads and railways and bring Rangpur division to a standstill.
The students raised a three-point demand on behalf of the students and people of Northbengal to eliminate regional disparities. The demands include the appointment of at least two to four advisors from each of the two divisions of Northbengal to the interim government to formulate inclusive policies for balanced development. They also emphasized that there should be no regional discrimination in the appointment of bureaucrats and officials in various government institutions, and each advisor should make the progress of their activities public on a weekly basis. Additionally, they stated that no adviser who is controversial and does not embrace the July uprising can be kept in the interim government and that the advice of anti-discrimination student leaders of Northbengal should be taken in formulating policies.