Marine institute closed sine die
Bagerhat Institute of Marine Technology in Chitali Baitpur area of Sadar upazila has been closed indefinitely and the students were asked to leave the dormitories by 2:00pm yesterday.
Students demonstrated on the campus for the fourth day yesterday for removal of acting Principal Sirajul Islam and demanded posting of a new principal. The students have locked the classrooms and the office rooms. Police have been deployed since yesterday morning to prevent any untoward situation.
Sirajul Islam has been the acting principal for nearly two years.
The students had been protesting against various irregularities and alleged corruption of the principal from Sunday night. Yesterday, the students stood in front of the main gate of the institute to prevent the entry of the principal into the campus.
The protesting students said the principal kept outsiders in the dormitories for rent. Because of this, the students of the institutes have to stay outside the campus due to shortage of seats, they added.
The institute gets Tk 1,84,000 a year from the government to pay the gas bill, but Sirajul took the amount again from the students, students alleged.
Tk 84,000 was allocated for housekeeping, but that money was also taken from the students, they alleged.
Sirajul rejected all the allegations and said he is not involved in any corruption.
Bagerhat Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahtab Uddin said they have received a letter signed by Director General of Manpower Employment and Training Bureau Selim Reza, ordering the closure of the institute.
The letter said the training programme of Bagerhat Institute of Marine Technology was declared closed till further notice due to unavoidable reasons. Copies of the letter were submitted to the divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner, police superintendent and the department concerned. The police are taking necessary action, the OC added.
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