Progressive students of Jahangirnagar University staged a torch march and burned an effigy of “Razakar” last night (6 August) in protest of the display of photos of the Razakar and Al-Badr members at an exhibition held at Dhaka University to mark the anniversary of the July Uprising.

The demonstration began at around 10pm at the Bat Tala area of the JU campus. From there, students holding torches marched through several halls and later returned.

At the end of the procession, the protesters set fire to a symbolic effigy of a “Razakar” at Bat Tala.

During the protest, the students were seen chanting slogans such as “Jamaat-Shibir-Razakar, leave Bengal now,” “No place for war criminals in our country,” “Burn down the Razakar’s throne together,”

“We didn’t lose in ’71, won’t lose in ’24,” etc.

However, in a counter-response, students from AFM Kamaluddin Hall, Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall, Shaheed Tajuddin Hall, Hall No 21, and Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall shouted back slogans like “False! False!” while the march passed by.

Speaking at the protest, Zahidul Islam Emon, president of a faction of the Bangladesh Students’ Union, said, “If at any time, under any pretext, there is an attempt to normalise Razakars, the pro-liberation student community will not tolerate it. While we welcome all to democratic politics, we do not consider the genocidal Awami League or their collaborators, Jamaat and Shibir, as politically relatable entities in Bangladesh.”

Emon added that only those who have believed in the country’s sovereignty and independence since 1971 have the moral right to participate in politics.

Another protester, ARK Russell, a 49th batch student of the Bangla department, said,

“It’s heartbreaking that the same Razakars who clawed at our national flag are now being displayed in an exhibition at Dhaka University.”

Referring to Shibir, he said, “Your predecessor student group committed heinous crimes in 1971. If you want to remain in politics, admit your guilt and apologise to the nation. Otherwise, the people of Bangladesh will never accept you.”