18 former student leader shame and condemn Menon, Barua

Dashed Khan Menon. Wikipedia.

18 former leaders of student movement in a joint statement on Wednesday shamed and condemned 'masked Leftists Rashed Khan Menon and Dilip Barua' who, they said, are accomplices of the ongoing student massacre in Bangladesh. The signatories include Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmad, Former Governor Bangladesh Bank, Emeritus Professor ATM Nurul Amin, Emeritus Professor Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmad, Dr. Syed Zaheer Sadek and Dr. Najma Shikha.

Filip Barua

They said, Rashed Khan Menon and Dilip Barua's politics started and took shape in the 1960s with student politics. Both of them then were united under the progressive student organization East Pakistan Chhatra Union and later became leaders.

Later, when the organization split into two parts, Rashed Khan Menon became the leader of one group. The politics of the organization at that time was to establish a discrimination-free country in solidarity with the the great people. 

The past tradition of this student organization was to play a prominent role in all student and mass movements of Pakistan from the 1962 Anti-Education Commission movement till now. Many leaders of this organization are workers

during the Pakistani era, gave their life in the anti-government movement, suffered imprisonment, and made unprecedented sacrifices. This is how its politics is glorified by the self-sacrifice of leaders and workers.

This student organization is one of the shapers of the eleven-point student movement that was formed in 1968 by three student organizations. The eleven-point movement of the students was created in unison with the workers-peasants movement

and led to the 1969 mass uprising. The mass uprising was caused by the martyrdom of Asaduzzaman, the renegade leader of this organization. Many others, including young school student Matiur, gave their blood. After that sacrifice

Ayub Khan, the dictator known as Iron Man of Asia, had to step down from power.

There is such a struggling tradition that we the undersigned have played an active role in student body's politics, at different times, at different stages. One time leader of the organization was Rashed Khan Menon. Today's

Dilip Barua was also involved in it. The achievement and recognition in the life of these two people is due to the student movement at that time. They used to raise voice for struggling people.

We are surprised to see that they have taken an anti-people role with a one hundred and eighty degree opposite position from their past politics. Abandoning the path of struggle for socialism they have chosen to express contentment with a share of the leftover of capitalism

instead of standing up for the helpless oppressed people when oppressed are standing up against the oppressive dictatorship. During the recent violent anti-quota student movement, they played a counter-reactive role as the government's allies.

According to the list published in the newspaper, 266 people were killed in the firing of various forces of the government in this movement. There has never been a case of so many people being killed in any movement and struggle in this country. What a

surprise! Instead of standing by the martyrs of the student movement, they shamefully stood shoulder to should with fascist killers.

This role of them reminds us of the collaborators of the occupation forces during the liberation war. Now they are playing that same role. We call their transformation political and character degradation

We feel extremely disgusted to think that they were once our ideal political leaders. Our call to those who are still with them,

to immediately get rid of these murderers who have stained their hands in the blood of many students. They are devoid of idealiam and are anti-people. Unmask them and present their real identities to the people at once.

On behalf of the student leaders of the former East Pakistan Students Union and Revolutionary Students Union

1. Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmad, Former Governor Bangladesh Bank

2. Emeritus Professor ATM Nurul Amin

3. Emeritus Professor Anisuzzaman Chowdhury

4. Former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmed

5. Dr. Syed Zaheer Sadek

6. Dr. Najma Shikha

7. Manzoor Ahmed

8. Dewan Shamsul Arefin

9. Lutfar Rahman Helal

10. Hamid Reza Khan

11. Syed Safiq Uddin Ahmed

12. Anwarul Quader Baki

13. Mozammel Haque

14. Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Bablu

15. Shamsuzzaman Milon

16. Ali Imam Shikder

17. Kamrul Huda

18. Khandkar Nazim Uddin