A member of the National Citizens’ Committee has been accused of involvement in an attack on a peaceful gathering of ethnic minority students and their supporters in front of the NCTB office in Motijheel on Wednesday (15 January). The protest was organised against the removal of the word “adivasi” (indigenous) from textbooks.
Shahadat Farazi Sakib, a representative of the National Citizens’ Committee’s Dhanmondi Thana unit, was reportedly involved in the attack, according to a press statement issued by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
The National Citizens’ Committee has issued a show-cause notice to Shahadat Farazi Sakib, asking him to explain why he should not be removed from his post over his alleged involvement in the attack.
The press release stated that the matter is evident from video footage and the accused person’s social media activities. “It is not at all desirable for a representative of the National Citizens’ Committee, formed with the intent to represent civil society while embracing the aspirations of the July Uprising, to be involved in heinous attacks and perpetuating ethnic divisions,” the statement said.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement strongly condemned the incident and urged the National Citizens’ Committee to take prompt organisational action against Shahadat Farazi Sakib. “We hope that the National Citizens’ Committee will demonstrate its commitment to the spirit of the uprising by holding him accountable,” the statement added.
Around 1:00 pm on Wednesday, a student organisation called Students for Sovereignty carried out an attack on the 'indigenous' students and people, leaving some of them injured.
