DU Student Injured in Militant Attack by Hizb ut-Tahrir Over Flag Removal Request

DU Correspondent

A student of Dhaka University (DU) was injured in an attack by members of the banned militant group Hizb ut-Tahrir after asking them to take down their banners. The injured student, Sani Sarkar, is a student of the Political Science Department from the 2022-23 academic session.

On Tuesday, April 8, Sani lodged a complaint about the incident with the university’s proctor’s office.

According to his complaint, the incident occurred on Monday during a protest rally in solidarity with Palestine held near the Raju Sculpture. During the rally, members of Hizb ut-Tahrir attacked Sani and Abdul Kader, convenor of the Democratic Students Union’s DU branch.

In his written complaint, Sani mentioned that around 1:00 PM on Monday, students from different colleges were holding a program at TSC regarding the Palestine issue. The event displayed flags of the banned militant group Hizb ut-Tahrir. Sani intervened and requested the removal of the flags, saying, “I am a Muslim too, but I request you to take down this banned flag. Protests or programs in front of the Raju Sculpture are sensitive. Images or videos of such incidents can create negative international reactions.”

Sani further noted in his complaint: “While a few individuals complied and took down the flags, others refused to listen. Abdul Kader, Khaled, Tanvir Bhai, and others tried to reason with them. However, Hizb ut-Tahrir members branded us as ‘anti-Islam’ and assaulted me in the crowd.”

Sani questioned in his complaint to the proctor’s office, “How can a banned militant group conduct programs in an autonomous institution like Dhaka University? While outsiders are not allowed to hold events, we feel so unsafe that external groups can organize programs, spread propaganda, and attack us.”

In protest of the militant attack, students of the Political Science Department organized a protest at the base of the Raju Sculpture on Wednesday, April 9. They formed a human chain demanding justice for Sani and a permanent ban on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s activities on the DU campus.

In a statement condemning the attack, the Democratic Students Union noted that programs related to Palestine have repeatedly seen flags of banned militant groups. In the past, Hizb ut-Tahrir raised their flags at such events, tarnishing the image of these movements on an international level.

The statement added that although the proctorial team was informed immediately after the attack, they acted irresponsibly and took no effective measures to rescue the injured student. “We strongly condemn this incident. We believe the presence and activities of banned militant groups on the Dhaka University campus indicate the failure of the country’s security apparatus and law enforcement agencies to act effectively.”

The students urged the proctorial team to take responsibility and ensure that any Hizb ut-Tahrir member spotted on campus is handed over to the police immediately.