JU asks students to call off their demonstration

Jahangirnagar University yesterday urged the agitating students to end their hunger strike demanding withdrawal of the case filed against 56 students in connection with vandalism of the vice-chancellor's house on May 27.

The students had also been asked not to be involved in any activities that could hamper academic and administrative activities of the university, said a JU press release.

The decision was made at an emergency syndicate meeting held yesterday with JU VC Prof Farzana Islam in the chair.

JU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Amir Hussain said, "It is impossible for us to withdraw the case, as the university does not have any authority to do that. It is the police who deal with the matter.”

A syndicate member wishing not to be named said, "If the students and the university authorities can reach an understanding over the issue, the court will decide about the case withdrawal after getting the investigation report from police. Now, we can only request police to withdraw the case."

Around 2:00pm on Saturday, Sarder Zahid, a master's student of English department, began the hunger strike unto death at the Central Shaheed Minar on campus. Later, Puja Biswas, another master's student of international relations, joined him.

Zahid and Puja, who are among the 56 accused, have become sick.

Two more students have also joined Zahid and Puja. Besides, a good number of university students have expressed solidarity with them.

On May 26, marketing student Nazmul Hasan Rana, 24, and microbiology student Arafat, 24, were killed as a bus hit a human haulier carrying them on Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar's C&B bus stand area.

Afterwards, agitating students blocked the highway demanding speed breakers there. But police fired rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse them. At least 10 people, including students, a JU official and two journalists, were injured.

Later, they besieged the VC's residence. During the demonstration, 42 JU students were held and later shown arrested in the vandalism case filed by Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique.

The next day, all the 42 were released on bail.