A group of Dhaka University students has issued an ultimatum demanding the resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury by Monday (24 February), accusing him of failing to address the escalating law-and-order crisis.
The ultimatum was announced following a brief protest march on the university campus in the early hours of Monday, just after a gold trader was shot and robbed by unidentified assailants in the capital’s Banasree.
Addressing a rally at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture after the procession, student leader Shakib Ahmed declared, “Extortionists have resurfaced across the country, proving the home affairs adviser’s inability to take effective action. The army has been granted magisterial powers—what role are they playing?”
He further warned, “If the adviser does not step down by 1pm on Monday, we will escalate our actions at the grassroots level. Each of them will have to be held accountable for the past six months.”
Another protester, Nurul Gani Chagir, made a defiant statement: “If the police, army, or RAB cannot resolve this crisis, then let university students take charge. From today, we will not allow a single case of abduction or sexual violence in the country.”
Hundreds of students took part in the procession, protesting the government’s failure to curb rising crime. Following the demonstration, they returned to their dormitories.
The unrest follows a surge in violent crimes, with the shooting of the gold trader in Banasree occurring around midnight.
This incident is part of a broader crime wave that has gripped the nation in recent weeks.
Earlier today, RAB Director General AKM Shahidur Rahman cautioned that law and order could further deteriorate during Ramadan, as "extortionists backed by political parties are now engaging in robberies, muggings, and other crimes following the mass uprising on 5 August 2024.”
