Alleges SAD president Rifat Rashid

Students Against Discrimination (SAD) president Rifat Rashid yesterday alleged that the leaders of National Citizen Party (NCP), who had emerged through the July uprising, did not stand beside the July fighters in times of crisis.

Questioning NCP's role in the recent arrests of SAD's Habiganj unit member secretary Mahdi Hasan and "July fighter" Tahrima Jannat Surovi, Rifat said the party issued statements only after their release.

"Those NCP leaders who rose through the July uprising --every single one of them -- remained silent when they [Mahdi and Surovi] were in danger," he added.

Addressing a press conference at Madhur Canteen on Dhaka University campus, Rashid warned that abandoning the July fighters for electoral politics would be a grave mistake.

Rashid announced a set of demands, including: unconditional release of Mahdi and Surovi; forming a probe body for punishing Omar Faruk and other police and administrative officials; issuance of an ordinance by the president within next 24 hours granting immunity for all activities carried out by July fighters between July 1 and August 8, 2024; and documentation of significant contributions of armed and paramilitary forces personnel and civil administration officials during the uprising;  immediate promotions and appointments to sensitive and important posts for armed forces officers who were deprived and repressed after February 25, 2009.

He also announced a set of programmes, including: preparing a list of police personnel under whose jurisdictions protesters were killed during the uprising; submitting the list to the International Crimes Tribunal and file cases accordingly and holding discussions with the law and home advisers to ensure the issuance of an "indemnity ordinance" by the president.