Around 15 students gathered on Pedestrian Walkway to join in solidarity with students in Bangladesh Tuesday afternoon.
A few days ago, students in Bangladesh were killed by a road accident. 6,000 to 7,000 people are killed in a single city by road accidents yearly, according to PhD student studying computer science Mesbah Uddin.
Friends of the students killed in the accident along with other students started a movement in Bangladesh by standing in the road to demand better road safety rules.
“The problem with the government is instead of listening to them or pardoning them, they suddenly started attacking them,” Uddin said.
Attacks included force, guns and sticks.
“It’s very violent and very surprising,” Uddin said. “We never thought that they could attack…children, because they are under 18.”
“The problem right now is they are not listening to any of them,” Uddin added. “They’re trying to use fear to distract our movement.”
Most of the students protesting call Bangladesh their home and are at UT studying to receive their master’s or doctorate degree. With ties to their home country, the participants hoped the protest would publicly address what Bangladesh cannot.
The government has created a media blackout and caused newspapers, TV and online sources to stop publishing. Students aren’t allowed access to share photos or videos of the attacks as servers and internet is disconnected.
“That’s why all other Bangladeshi students and Bangladeshi students in other countries are trying to get this information and show the world our side of it,” Uddin said.
Some 8,294 miles from Bangladesh, the students hope that their small part in the movement will help being peace and safety to Bangladesh.
“For now, our demand is that we want better safety rules, we want justice for all attacks that have happened on the students and we want an answer from the government,” Uddin said.
A student holds a sign at a Bangladeshi Students Association protest.
