13-POINT DEMAND
Students of Barisal University (BU) today lay seize to the vice-chancellor’s office and held its VC Prof Md Harunor Rashid Khan captive to press home their 13-point demands which include reduction of tuition fees and other utility charges.
Chanting slogans in favour of their demands, the agitated students staged a demonstration in front of the VC’s office at about 11:00am, reports our BU correspondent.
Students also warned the university authority that they would continue their agitation programme until the demands are met.
Following the incident, the VC held a meeting with the syndicate members and teachers of the university to resolve the issue immediately. Barisal divisional commissioner Md Gaus was present at the meeting.
The BU students had been boycotting all academic activities since last Saturday for their demands which include punishment for transport workers who attacked and injured some students on May 29; immediate construction of students' dormitories and their boundary walls; construction of speed bumps in front of the university's permanent campus; withdrawal of resignation letters of five assistant proctors; a fixed session fee of Tk 3,000 per student and announcement of the university's student election union.
Later, on Tuesday, the students returned to classes and examinations following negotiations with transport owners and university authorities at a meeting on that day.
The transport owners assured the students of providing them with a reserved bus that will ply between the city and the permanent campus, introducing half-ticket price for the students, and introducing a bus stoppage in front of the campus gate.
VC Prof Md Harunor Rashid Khan said that the resignation letters of the assistant proctors were not accepted, so they will continue carrying out their duties.
He said each student will be charged Tk 3,000 per session with an additional Tk 500 as transportation fee.
He further said that works for constructing speed humps and boundary walls have started.
The agitating students threatened to boycott classes again and go for other agitation programmes if the decisions are not implemented properly.
On May 29, at least eight students were injured as transport workers swooped on them on the campus following an altercation between a group of students and some transport workers over refusal to drop students in front of the campus and give them a concession in bus fare.
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