Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed, Former Vice Chancellor, Dhaka University:

Following the movement to reform the existing quota system in public service recruitments, the movement for safe roads was logical too. Democracy is found wanting in the country. Bangladesh has emerged as an undemocratic country. The students would not come under attack, face lawsuit or be tortured in remand if there were democracy in the country. The guardians want their children released before Eid and withdrawn from all cases.
The students involved with quota reform movement should not be harassed. The quota reformists should be released from jail immediately if they are proved not guilty. The law should take its own course if any reformist is proved guilty.

However, the students joining the movement were made accused in cases on wholesale basis. The students were apprehended from the streets and they were placed on remand too.

The students took to the streets demanding safe roads. Their successful movement brought about a great change in the country. However, the country’s traffic system has not changed. A kind of arbitrary exercise of power is now going on in the country. The rule of law is absent. The government can release the arrested students, if it wishes so. Instead of releasing them, the government is torturing the students in different ways in remand. Particularly, the use of force on the students is condemnable. The people criticizing any misdeed of the government or initiating movement will face arrest, case and torture in remand.

Based on an interview by Muhammad Nayeem, translated by Hossen Sohel