Prof Ali Riaz disputes DU VC’s ‘Taliban’ remark
Throwing a challenge to the Dhaka University Vice-chancellor who said the quota reformists are announcing programmes in video messages which is similar to that of militants, international political analyst Prof Ali Riaz has asked Prof Akhtaruzzaman to show him such a video.
Ali Riaz made the challenge in a post on his Facebook account.
"While describing the quota reform movement activists as 'militants', the Dhaka University Vice-chancellor compared them with the Taliban, Al-Shabab and Boko Haram. Prof Akhtaruzzaman said he reached such a conclusion after one of his colleagues showed him such a video," said Ali Riaz, a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Politics and Government in Illinois State University, USA.
Mentioning that he has long been trying to learn about extremism and international terrorist groups and he has a little bit of experience of research on militancy in Bangladesh, Ali Riaz wanted to know in the need of his research as to where the video is.
"As the vice-chancellor saw the video, it must be somewhere. Bangladesh's people certainly have the right to watch it. If you want to take it as a challenge, take it like this, the vice-chancellor please tell me where the video is."
On Sunday, Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman likened the activities of the quota reform activists to that of militants. "The way the quota reformists are announcing programmes in video messages in Facebook live is similar to that of militants," he said while talking to reporters at his office.
Mentioning that several of his colleagues showed him such a live video, the VC said, "It seemed to me that they're making an evil attempt to spread provocation and violence through video messages from secret places like the Taliban and Boko Haram."
Contacted, the DU vice-chancellor told UNB on Monday that some of his colleges showed him this video. "They (quota reformists) are spreading rumours and calling students for movement. Not only I but also many people watched these types of video," he said.
