No classes were held at the faculties of arts and social sciences, but the teachers of business studies and science faculties and the Institute of Business Administration took a few scheduled classes.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), student wing of the AL, enforced a daylong strike at the educational institutions across the country yesterday protesting Hasina's arrest.

The DU campus wore a deserted look yesterday as presence of students was very thin due to incessant rain all day long. Law enforcers were seen at the entrances of faculties and different offices on the campus.

The DU teachers also protested the curbing of citizens' rights in the name of the state of emergency. They demanded resignation of Law Adviser Mainul Hosein for "breaching the oath of office by favouring some specific groups".

The demonstration is the first by the DU teachers against the activities of the present caretaker government since it came to power in January and declared a state of emergency that restricts any kind of protest against its actions.

Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) President Prof Sadrul Amin and Dean of social sciences faculty Prof Harun-Or-Rashid said their two-day protest programme was successful as all teachers took part in it.

They both hoped that the government will now look into their demand.

Former Duta general secretary Prof M Akhtaruzzaman said they hope that following the protest the government will consider their demands, otherwise the teachers will sit and determine the next course of action.

Business studies faculty Dean Prof Sirajul Islam, a teacher of the pro-BNP White Panel, said a few classes were held at his faculty during the abstention period. "Although I have obligations to the Duta, I had to take a class on humanitarian grounds as students requested me to take the class," he said.

The work abstention ended at 1:00pm but no classes were held afterwards because of low presence of teachers and students.

BCL STRIKE
The daylong student strike did not have any impact on the DU campus as no BCL leaders and workers were seen on the campus yesterday.

Our Rajshahi University (RU) correspondent reports: The student strike was partially observed on the RU campus and other educational institutes in the city.

Earlier on Saturday night, the BCL RU unit staged a demonstration in front of an arts faculty building protesting Hasina's arrest. They chanted slogans against the present government and demanded resignation of the law adviser.

Police and members of different intelligence branches rushed to the spot and dispersed the demonstrators.

The police and Rapid Action Battalion also raided the living places of a few BCL leaders and activists near the university last night but did not arrest any one.

The student strike was partially observed in Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi Government College, Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute, Rajshahi City College and other educational institutes in the city.

The strike was also partially observed at other public universities across the country including Chittagong University, Islamic University and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University.