7-day ultimatum for release of held DU teachers, students

---

Dhaka University (DU) teachers Monday gave the government until January 7 to release its teachers and students arrested following the August 20-22 student violence on and around the campus, reports UNB.
They threatened to go for a greater movement if their colleagues and students are not released within the given time.
"We want to see our colleagues and students moving around the campus freely on January 8, the first opening day of the university after its Eid vacation," DUTA executive committee member AAMS Arefin Siddique told a press conference in the afternoon.
"The government had promised us to release them by December 23. But nothing happened as per its commitment. Now we're giving the government seven days to live up to its words, or else, the DU teachers under the banner of their association will sit for further programmes seeking the release of teachers and students."
Representatives from the teachers' community including DUTA executive committee members Akhtaruzzaman, RIM Aminur Rashid, convener of Progressive Teachers Panel Abdus Samad, KM Saiful Islam Khan, Rahmatlullah, AKM Golam Rabbani, Wahiduzzaman, Zinat Huda and Mofizur Rahman, among others, were present on the occasion.
The press conference was held to clarify Sunday night's scuffle over the "double-standard" of the DUTA's acting president and secretary over its future course of action seeking the release of detained teachers and students.
On Sunday night, the DUTA sit in an emergency general meeting to chalk out its future course of action seeking the release of their colleagues and finalise a date for holding the pending election to the association's executive committee.
In the meeting, decisions were unanimously taken by its general members to go for a movement to free the detained teachers and students apart from deciding to hold the election on January 15.
But acting DUTA president Tajmeri S Islam and acting general secretary Mamun Ahmed, ignoring the decision of movement, left the meeting creating frustration among the general teachers about the association's leadership.
Talking about Sunday's incident, Akhtaruzzman said the entire DU teachers' community is united and they demand unconditional release of the teachers and students.
"But the acting president and general secretary ignored the teachers' sentiment and decision to go for a non-violent demonstration. Their behaviour in the meeting was immoral and unfortunate," he said.