Students end hunger strike after assurance of speedy trial for roles against uprising

A total of eight people, including five Dhaka University students, have called off a hunger strike after an interim government advisor assured them of speedy justice for those who carried out attacks during the 'July Revolution, ' reports bdnews24.com.

The protesters had gone on strike on Thursday to demand the arrests of the 'criminals' within a week.

After Home Advisor Md Jahangir Alam issued a statement saying those involved in the massacre in July and August would be brought to trial quickly, Dhaka University Proctor Prof Saifuddin Ahmed of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies gave the protesters coconut water to end the hunger strike.

Ashikur Rahman Jeem, a student from the 2020-21 batch in the Department of Law at Dhaka University, launched the hunger strike at the foot of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on campus.

He was joined by four other students. A total of eight people continued the hunger strike until midnight on Thursday. Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed gave them coconut water at 12:00 am to end the strike.

The protesters on hunger strike were Ashikur Rahman Jeem, Redwanul Islam and Rezwan Ahmed Rifat also from the Department of Law, Armanul Islam and Deputy-Coordinator Rifat Ridwan from the Department of Economics, Suhrawardy College student Mohammad Imam Hossain Emon, Dhaka City College student Minhazur Rahman and Birshrestha Munshi Abdur Rouf College student Suhail Mahdeen.

"We continued our hunger strike when the home adviser agreed to our demand and issued a statement at night. Then proctor sir came at 12:00 am and gave us coconut water to end the strike," said Redwanul Islam.

"We hope that the criminals who carried out attacks on protesters during the 'July revolution' will be arrested soon and face the highest punishment."

Earlier in the evening, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan and Proctor Safuddin Ahmed went to the Raju Memorial Sculpture to express their solidarity with the protesters.