Eight students with five from Dhaka University (DU) called off their hunger strike as Home Adviser assured them of swift arrest and trial of the perpetrators who attacked and killed hundreds of people during the July Movement.
The protesters went on strike at the base of Raju Memorial Sculpture at Dhaka University (DU) from Thursday morning to press home their demand that the perpetrators be arrested and tried within a week.
Following their protest, Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam issued a statement saying those involved in the massacre in July and August would be brought to trial quickly.
DU Proctor Prof Saifuddin Ahmed gave the protesters coconut water to end the hunger strike at midnight on Thursday. Initiated by DU Law student Ashikur Rahman Jim, he was joined by students of the department Rezwan Ahmed Rifat and Redwanul Islam, Economics students Rifat Ridwan and Mohammad Armanul Islam, Suhrawardy College student Md Imam Hossain, Dhaka City College student Minhazur Rahman and Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf College student Suhail Mahdin.
"We ended our hunger strike when the Home Adviser agreed to our demand and issued a statement at night. Then Proctor sir came at 12:00am and gave us coconut water to end the strike," said Redwanul Islam.
He said, "We hope that the criminals who carried out attacks on protesters during the 'July revolution' will be arrested soon and awarded the highest punishment."
Earlier in the evening, DU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan and Proctor Safuddin Ahmed went to the Raju Memorial Sculpture to express their solidarity with the protesters.
