Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Shafiqur Rahman has issued the following statement on 1st August, 2018 expressing deep concern as two students became spot dead in a bus crash incident, which also left 15 students injured on Sunday and the subsequent disgraceful comments of the Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan on these pathetic issues.

“I am expressing deep concern as two students became spot dead in a bus crash incident, which also left 15 students injured on Sunday in the capital and the subsequent disgraceful comments of the Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan on these pathetic issues.

We have been observing for long days that many general students and pedestrians are being killed in different road mishaps. In recent times, we saw the death of another student Rajib, who earlier had lost his right arm to a race between two buses in Dhaka. But the involved and responsible bus drivers are not being brought to the book so far. These mishaps and accidents are frequently taken place as the punishments of the bus drivers are not ensured. Even the incidents are not being probed properly. The government has not taken any effective measures to stop such accident. Rather, the disgraceful comment of the Shipping Minister has created resentment among the general students. Such an irresponsible comment is not expected from a minister.

It is very natural that the students would be agitated at the pathetic death of their fellows. It was the duty of the government to conduct proper investigation into the incident and also to take proper steps to mitigate student’s anger. But the situation is deteriorating as the authority failed to do so. The government’s approach further indicates that they have miserably failed to understand the desire of the students. The incumbent government has become fully detached from the general masses and they are trying to subdue people forcibly in all occasions. Likely the previous occasions, the authority is trying to suppress the protesting students by baton charges or brutal crackdown. But the history testifies about the ultimate success of all the student movement. Considering such historical trend, the government must give up its suppressive policy to meet the justified demands of the agitating students.

I am urging the concerned authority to hold proper investigation into Sunday’s bus crash incident in order to ensure exemplary punishment of the involved personnel. I am also calling upon the authorities to accept 9 point justified demands of the protesting students.