JSTU closed after police charge batons on students

Authorities of Jessore Science and Technology University (JSTU) yesterday closed the university for 16 days after police charged truncheons on students at a sit-in programme on the campus that left 20 students injured.

The students had been demonstrating for the last 21 days, demanding the withdrawal of an expulsion order for a student and suspension orders for four others.

Police also detained 28 students.

The agitated students said police asked them to withdraw the sit-in programme in front of the university administrative building and attacked them when they were leaving the spot.

JSTU Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdus Sattar said they went for the summer holidays early to avoid any untoward incidents and asked the students to vacate their dormitories.  

He said following an allegation of harassment of a female student, students beat up fourth-class staff Badal in December 2015.   

After investigation into the incident, the Regent Board of the university on May 4 decided to fire Badal and expel a student and suspend four other students for different periods for their involvement in the incident, the VC added.

Students started agitation for the withdrawal of the decision, he said.

When the students went berserk yesterday, they called police and the law enforcers brought the situation under control, the VC said.  

Some students instigated the general students and started throwing brick chunks at the police when they entered the campus to rescue the VC and other officials, who were besieged by the students, Vaskar Saha, assistant commissioner of Jessore police, told The Daily Star. 

Police charged truncheons to disperse the students and removed the barricade from Jessore-Chaugachha Road, Vaskar said.