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A group of students at Dhaka University set fire to an image of BNP leader Fazlur Rahman on Wednesday, after he allegedly referred to a student representative as ‘the son of a Razakar’ and ‘the son of Al-Badr’ during a televised online talk show. The incident took place at the base of the Raju Sculpture in the university’s Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), where student activists have been holding a sit-in for 21 days, demanding the banning of the Awami League and its allied political parties.
The controversy began after Fazlur Rahman reportedly used the derogatory terms during the Face the People show, while addressing student representative Minhaj Uddin. Clips from the show, which aired on Tuesday night, quickly spread on social media, sparking widespread backlash.
In response, protesters gathered at the TSC, expressing anger over the remarks. They demanded Fazlur Rahman’s immediate arrest and called for his expulsion from the BNP. Students argued that Rahman’s words echoed those previously used by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had labeled individuals as ‘descendants of Razakars,’ a term that refers to collaborators during the 1971 Liberation War. The protesters felt the remarks were an attack on the student community, reviving fears of historical injustices.
Ghalib Ehsan, assistant secretary of the National Revolutionary Council, stated, “We are setting fire to Fazlur Rahman’s image because, after August 5, we gained a new form of independence which he refuses to accept. He has insulted students and revolutionaries by using derogatory terms, speaking in a tone that resembles fascism.”
Abdul Wahed, convener of the Revolutionary Student Council, called for Fazlur Rahman’s immediate arrest and demanded an apology to the student community. He emphasised that such behavior would not be tolerated in an independent Bangladesh.
The incident has intensified political debates, with many questioning the growing tensions between rival political factions in the country.
