Pabna univ at standstill

Academic and administrative activities at Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) have come to a halt due to the agitation and counter-agitation by teachers, students and staff over an attack on a teacher.

Students of the university called an indefinite strike in the campus from Sunday, protesting the attack on Dr Abdul Alim, dean of the Humanitarian and Social Science Department, and demanding the punishment of the attackers, while the PUST teachers' association announced a seven-day agitation programme from yesterday, demanding strong action against the attackers.

A Class IV employee beat up Dr Alim during the PUST admission test on Friday afternoon. When the students staged a demonstration on Saturday against the assault on the teacher, the unruly employees locked in a clash with them.

The employees started a work abstention programme on Saturday, demanding removal of Dr Alim from his administrative post.

“On the advice of the local lawmaker we lifted the work abstention programme. We demand removal of Dr Alim from all administrative posts, and compensation to the staff for the damage to vehicles during Saturday's clash,” said Shamshad Fakhrul, president of PUST staff association.

Workers and employees will go for tougher agitation programmes if the demands are not met within one week, he said after a staff council meeting yesterday.

Meanwhile, PUST teachers' association held an urgent meeting and declared a weeklong peaceful agitation programme from yesterday, demanding proper investigation of the incident and punishment of the attackers.

“Protesting the attack on the teacher, we will wear black badge on Tuesday and Wednesday and boycott classes next Saturday and Sunday,” said Awal Kabir Joy, president of PUST teachers' association, adding that the teachers will go for tougher agitation programme from November 11 if the attackers are not punished by November 10.

“Harassment of teachers by unruly staff has become a regular affair. Earlier, students' adviser Habibullah was assaulted by them and the teacher was removed from his post due to agitation by the staff. Now they have assaulted a dean, and also attacked students when we staged a demonstration against it. If the unruly employess are not punished, such incidents will continue,” Linkon Hossain, a second-year student of Bangla department, said.

The students have called a hartal, demanding punishment of the attackers, and it will continue until action is taken against the attackers, said another student Russel Hossain.