A faction of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the ruling Awami League's (AL's) student front, has given a 48-hour ultimatum to junk the newly-elected full-fledged central committee. They have said if the authorities do not scrap the committee within 48 hours and if some of the newly elected committee members, who have got their place in the central committee, are not removed, they will go on a hunger strike.    

The faction of BCL activists, who were not included in the new committee, gave the ultimatum at a press conference at Madhur Canteen on the Dhaka University (DU) campus yeaterday.

At the press conference, Nipu Islam Tanni, Shamsun Nahar Hall BCL wing president and central member of DUCSU, said: “The BCL committee has been formed with married people, non-students and members of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD). Many committed activists were excluded from the committee. This committee has to be dismissed and a new committee must be formed immediately. If the authorities do not get rid of the committee within 48 hours, we'll resign from the party and go on a hunger strike till our demands are met.”

It was also alleged during the press meet that devoted activists of the BCL did not find a place in the new committee. Many committed leaders were deprived, while ‘ineligible’ people have been given positions in the committee.

On Monday, following the announcement of the new central committee, the ‘deprived’ activists and leaders were beaten while they were protesting against the formation of the committee. Later, a three-member committee was formed to investigate the incident. But the protesters rejected the committee.

Rokeya Hall BCL wing president BM Lipi Akter said at the press conference: “Those who attacked us yesterday (Monday) have been made members of the investigation committee. We don’t accept this committee.”

The protesting faction also said they would go to AL president Sheikh Hasina, if necessary, to express their grievance.   

Shahid Khan, Kabi Jasimuiddin Hall BCL wing general secretary, said: “AL leaders said during the DUCSU elections that those who didn’t get their place in DUCSU candidature will be considered in the full committee for their sacrifice. But that didn’t happen. So, we won’t listen to those leaders anymore. Our Chhatra League’s leader is PM Sheikh Hasina. We’ll only listen to her.”  

Earlier, before the press conference, these BCL activists brought out a procession and chanted slogans on the DU campus, demanding dismissal of the new committee and formation of a new committee with eligible candidates.