Pabna, Dec 15 (V7N) – A Martyred Intellectuals Day discussion program at Government Edward College in Pabna was disrupted on Sunday after leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal protested remarks made by a Islami Chhatra Shibir leader, accusing him of glorifying controversial figures from the 1971 Liberation War.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the Abdus Sattar Auditorium of Government Edward College, where the college authorities had organized a discussion marking Martyred Intellectuals Day.

During his speech, college unit Islami Chhatra Shibir Secretary Mamun Al Hasan began by extending greetings on the occasion of Victory Day, which drew mixed reactions from the audience, as the program was dedicated to Martyred Intellectuals Day. He then went on to pay tribute to what he described as the “proclaimer of independence,” Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, and referred to Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, Ghulam Azam, and other Jamaat-e-Islami leaders as “patriotic sons of the nation” and “sun children” of the Liberation War.

The remarks immediately sparked strong protests from Chhatra Dal leaders and activists present at the program. They boycotted the event, leading to heated arguments and chaos inside the auditorium. Chhatra Dal activists staged a protest inside the hall, resulting in a brief but intense commotion between the two student groups.

Mahfuzur Rahman, Joint General Secretary of the Government Edward College unit of Chhatra Dal, strongly condemned the statements and demanded that Islami Chhatra Shibir immediately withdraw the remarks and issue a public apology to general students. He said such comments were deeply offensive to the spirit of the Liberation War and described the situation as a matter of national shame. He warned that if similar statements or slogans were repeated in the future, Chhatra Dal would respond firmly with the support of general students.

Responding to the controversy, Islami Chhatra Shibir Secretary Mamun Al Hasan rejected the allegations, claiming that Chhatra Dal leaders had deliberately disrupted the program. He alleged that false narratives were spread against Jamaat-e-Islami and Shibir, accusing previous governments of conducting extrajudicial actions against Jamaat leaders. He said the disruption was premeditated and expressed strong protest against what he termed defamatory remarks made during the event.

The incident has reignited tensions between rival student organizations on campus and raised concerns over maintaining decorum at nationally significant commemorative programs.

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