A group of students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has placed an appeal before the prime minister for the safety of their lives as a barrage of veiled life threats against them kept flooding social media particularly from handles and accounts known as mouthpiece affiliated with extremist and radical outfits.

Even Basherkella, that held record of spreading hate speech and communal attacks, associated with a dreaded outfit Jamaat-e-Islami, launched a targeted attack with photos names of the students circulated on different platforms including Telegram channels.

The students made the demand at a press conference held at the Shaheed Minar on BUET campus on Friday as they earlier submitted a complaint with the vice chancellor compiling screenshot of threats and bullying against them, reports UNB.

Days back, they submitted a written complaint with the vice chancellor where they mentioned names of 21 students who faced similar threats against them. 

Even for taking part in human chain against the fundamentalist forces triggered verbal attack on us in the past what is clearly a breach in freedom of expression, they added. 

Citing reports of a secretive meeting of 34 activists of Shibir including current students of BUET at a remote place, they added “it clearly shows that despite apparent ban on student politics, they attended for the students attended a meeting where charges of anti-state activities were slapped upon them.” 

“Even in some facebook groups, we have found posts vilifying us and some of our minority students were targeted. Posts in these groups show students are using this space to spread the message of militants, further indication of involvement of these activists”.

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque