Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and former MP Professor Mia Golam Parwar issued a statement on July 16, condemning and protesting the incident of 5 people killed in police firing and the attack of police and Chhatra League on agitating students and calling for an immediate solution to the problems that have arisen.
In the statement, he said, “The entire Bangladesh has become bloody today due to the attack of Chhatra League and police on the protesting students. So far 5 people have been killed in the quota reform movement across the country. Among them, 3 people including Chittagong College student Md Wasim and shop employee Md Farooq were killed in Chittagong, Begum Rokeya University English Department student Abu Saeed in Rangpur and 1 youth in front of Dhaka College in the capital. Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protesting students across the country. Along with these brutal killings, hundreds of students and general public were injured in addition to the killings and shootings of the police and Chhatra League across the country. Such events are rare in the history of the world. These casualties are nothing but grossly unfair, uncalled for and excessive. I express deep concern and strongly condemn and protest these casualties.
He also said that the police fired indiscriminately on protesting students across the country including the capital Dhaka. Police, Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League workers participated in the attack on the students. The government wants to stifle the democratic rights of students at gunpoint. This is not a solution. We have been saying since the beginning that the demands of the agitating students should be taken into consideration and resolved fairly. But instead of doing that, the government is trying to quell the movement, first through the courts and now by targeting party terrorists and using the state’s law and order forces.
He said, I seek forgiveness for the souls of the deceased and express my deepest condolences to their families and the injured. I appeal to the concerned authorities to provide proper treatment to those who have been injured and to compensate the families of the victims. At the same time, I call on the government to take strict legal action against the attackers in different parts of the country and to resolve the logical demands of the agitators.”