Professor Mohammad Yunus Killing: Shiksa Andolan Manch held Protest Rally  - From Mukto-Mona Dhaka Contact   Shiksa Andolan Manch (a platform for Education-Movement), a recently formed platform for education movement with Professor Ajoy K. Roy- our Mukto-Mona member,  as its President today held a protest rally at the Central Shahid Minar at 4 p.m. yesterday (10. 01. 04) to demonstrate its concern of government�s inaction to round up the killers of Professor M. Yunus, an economist and an old teacher of Rajshahi University. The protest assembly followed by a procession with festoons, placard and banner was participated by professional, cultural, and some teachers� and students� organization. The slogan of the mancha was �We demand all educational institutions free from terrorism and terrorists�. The participating organizations were Dhaka University Teachers� Association, Jahangirnagar University Teachers� Association, Bangladesh Mahila Parisad, Sammilita Samajik Andolan, Projonma-71, Sammilita Nari Samaj, Democratic Lawyers� Association, Udichee Shilpi Gosthi, and Charan Sanskritik Sanstha.   The meeting was addressed by among others Professor Shahidul Islam, Professor of Applied Chemistry, RU, Prof. Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University, Ms A. N. Rasheda, Editor of �Shiska Varta�, Mrs. Shamsunnar Jyotsna of Sammilita Nari Samaj, Md Selim, Secretary of Udichee, Md Ashrafuddin Akash, General Secretary of Shiksa Andolan Mancha and presidents of five students� organization.   The speakers at the rally said that the inaction of the government had encouraged unabated killings of the intellectuals in the country. They demanded immediate resignation of the government for its failure to provide security to the teachers and intellectuals. They called upon the people to stand against the religious fanatics who are tarnishing the image of the country. They pointed to the Jamat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir for such killings and letting loose of reign of terror in the country.   The speakers urged all progressive elements, secular democrats and socialists, and political parties who believe in these ideologies to get united to resist the heinous activities of the anti-liberation groups and to fight the evil forces of fanaticism and communalism who are now sharing state power with conservative BNP.    It may be recalled that Professsor M. Yunus was assassinated in the early morning of 24th December near his Rajshahi University Campus residence while he was in routine morning walk. He was suffocated to death with a gamchha (cotton towel) wrapped over his neck. To ensure the death the fanatics wounded him with knives and Chinese axes on his neck, throat and face. The learned professor succumbed to death instantaneously. It was a mere formality that he was taken to hospital. He was known for his liberal and secular views, which earned him enmity of the Jamatis and other Islamic fundamentalists. Professor Yunus was the Vice President of Bangladesh Economic Association and President of Bangabandhu Parisad, Rajshahi.       The rally began with two opening songs presented by Udichee Shilpi Gosthi. Professor Ajoy Roy, a renowned scientist, and president of the Education Platform, presided the meeting, who in his concluding speech urged the government to ensure the security of the intellectuals and common people. �We cannot expect any justice from the government as it never paid any heed to our demands.�, he stressed.� He continued, �As in �71, the fanatics and the anti liberation forces are again active in the killing of progressive intellectuals. They have killed Dr. Humayun Azad, Dr. M Yunus, and many others throughout the country. At this critical hour we, the liberal and left democratic forces, have to unitedly fight this evil force of fanaticism and communalism, as we did in �71.�  After the rally, a procession paraded the DU campus area with chanting slogan finally dispersing at TSC, DU.  All leading dailies gave good coverage of the protest rally organized by Shiksa Andolan Mancha. The Bhorer Kagoj (12. 01. 05) made the headline �Sampradayik Saktir birudhe oikyabadha hoye palta aghat hanar Ahban�(A call to strike unitedly against te communal force) The Daily Star (12. 01. 05) gave the head line (with a photo): �Govt inaction encourages killings of intellectuals� Sangbad (12. 01. 05) made the story under the title, �Parikalpitabhabe budhijibi hatyar birudhe rukhe daranor ahban� (Call for resisting against killing of intellectuals in a planned manner). Etc . ..   Strike at Educational Institutions   Called by opposition based several students� organizations Educational institutions throughout the country observed a whole day strike today (12. 01. 05). The students abstained from the classes, and no examinations of DU were held. The strike was called by six opposition organizations including Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Al under a united banner of �Anti terrorism and Anti Communal Alliance� to press home three point demands including arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers of Prof. M. Yunus, security of teachers, and freeing educational institutions from terrorism. Yesterday, this six students-parties alliance brought out processions and held rallies in front of the Arts Building of the University.   Dhaka 12th January, 2005