CU CORRESPONDENT
A protest rally was held at Chittagong University on Friday evening to condemn the rising number of child deaths due to a nationwide measles outbreak.
Organized jointly by the university units of the Bangladesh Chhatra Union and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP, JSS-supported), the demonstration took place at the university’s Zero Point around 7:00 PM. The protesters demanded the trial of former interim government officials, including Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Nurjahan Begum, for their alleged failure to manage the crisis and called for the declaration of a national health emergency.
The rally was presided over by Sheikh Junaid Kabir, General Secretary of the CU Chhatra Union, and moderated by Ribek Chakma, General Secretary of the CU PCP. During the program, activists displayed placards highlighting healthcare mismanagement in the Chittagong region and the demand for justice regarding infant deaths.
Sheikh Junaid Kabir noted that over 400 children have died across 58 districts, with 55,000 others infected. He alleged that the interim government failed to ensure timely vaccines due to corruption and “tender politics,” while also criticizing government remarks that shifted blame onto mothers.
CU Chhatra Union Vice-President Md. Sohel Rana criticized the current government for failing to investigate interim-period corruption, pointing out the disparity where leaders seek treatment abroad while citizens lack basic care.
Highlighting the crisis in the Hill Tracts, PCP Information and Publication Secretary Rishon Chakma noted that seven children have already died in Alikadam.
Organizational Secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Union Jess Chakma added that the national discourse often ignores the suffering in the hills, despite the total breakdown of health services there.
Following the speeches, the demonstrators held a protest march from the Zero Point through Kata Pahar road, concluding at the Central Shaheed Minar. The campus echoed with slogans such as “No more excuses regarding measles,” and “Justice for the 400 deaths.” Protesters specifically demanded accountability, chanting “We demand the trial of Yunus” and “We demand the trial of Nurjahan,” while questioning the state’s inaction as the death toll rises.
The program concluded at the Shaheed Minar with a demand for a neutral investigation committee and a vow to continue the movement until healthcare rights are secured.