General students of Dhaka University (DU) exchanged hot words with members of Bangladesh Chattra Union on the campus after they white-washed 'July graffiti' from the university walls.
Chattra Union leaders and activists reportedly painted party slogans over graffiti around 2:00am on Thursday from walls opposite Arts Building main gate, triggering heated exchanges with general students.
Eyewitnesses confirmed Chattra Union members erased two specific graffiti pieces, one reading 'Chiro Unnata Momo Shir' (My Head Forever Upright) and another containing phrase 'Puki Nation', allegedly to create space for slogans related to their upcoming conference.
Confrontation erupted between Chattra Union activists and general students, creating temporary unrest across campus. Students accused Chattra Union members of deliberately attempting to erase July's memory under cover of darkness, describing actions as 'regrettable' and demanding formal apology.
When asked about the matter, the party President, Rageeb Nayeem, told the Daily Observer, "We have no objection to the July graffiti. In fact, we also embrace the spirit of July. That particular spot once depicted the horrors of genocide. However, to our knowledge, some NGOs later erased those illustration and replaced them with flashy drawings like 'Puki Nation'. Our national conference took place today. Based on this occasion, we wanted to do some wall writing. That's when some university students came and got into a heated argument with us. At one point, they even hurled abuses, calling us agents of fascism."
