Students, teachers and employees of schools respond en masse to authorities' call. The event took place exactly one month after the Dhaka massacre, which resulted in 20 victims. Minister of Education: "We need to create a movement of social resistance".
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Thousands of students took to the streets of Bangladesh and formed a human chain against terrorism. The initiative took place yesterday, exactly a month after the massacre of Dhaka, in which 20 people died, mostly foreigners. The event was promoted by the State University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, which invited all schools in the country to come together and demonstrate for peace.
Students, teachers and employees of educational institutions created human chain throughout the country. They carried flags and banners onto the streets calling for solidarity and respect. The messages read: “Bangladesh stands against terrorism,” “We want peace, no place for terrorism.” “Bangladesh Against Terrorism”, “We will resist militancy by togetherness and firmness”, “Non-communalism is our pride”, and “We want peace, not terrorism: we want fearless life”.
Fr. Walter William Rozario, principal of St. Louis High School, told AsiaNews that students of his high school turned out in numbers. "We were more than 1000 - he says - and we have demonstrated against militant Islam, murder and sectarianism. It is the duty of the nation to defeat all this, and I think we will succeed".
A college student adds: "Militancy and terrorism are the enemies of our country. We vowed to fight against all forms of violence. "
Nurul Islam Nahid, Minister of Education, spoke to the human chain in Dhaka created at the Central Shaheed Minar, noting “it is not enough to combat terrorism only by applying the law. We must create a movement of social resistance”.
(Photo credit: bdnews24)