Buet, JU finally set to reopen

Buet and Jahangirnagar University are soon going to resume academic activities after remaining shut down for months due to student protests. 

Agitating Buet students yesterday announced they will return to classes as the university authorities met their three-point demand, including the expulsion of 26 students for their involvement in the Abrar murder. 

“Buet authorities accepted our three-point demand within the stipulated time and thus, we are announcing the end of our movement,” Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, spokesperson for the student protesters, said at a press conference on the university’s Shaheed Minar premises.

Abrar, a second-year student of the electrical and electronic engineering department, was beaten to death by a group of Chattra League men at the university’s Sher-e-Bangla Hall between the night of October 6 and early hours of October 7.

Protesting the murder, Buet students had been demonstrating with a 10-point demand, including the expulsion of all the accused.

The agitating students later merged their demands into three points and announced they would return to their academic activities only if the demands are met.

Their two other demands include punishment of the students involved in previous cases of ragging; and enacting rules that prohibit ragging and organisation-based politics on the campus.

“At a meeting with the vice-chancellor, provosts and the Directorate of Students’ Welfare, we said we would accept the exam schedule if the authorities meet our first two demands, and sit for the tests only if the third one is met at least a week prior to the tests,” said Sayem. 

After the first two demands were met, the agitators met the VC last Wednesday and complied with his request to start the term finals from December 28, he added.

Term finals of all departments were scheduled to start on October 20, but they were eventually postponed owing to a boycott of classes by agitating students.

On November 26, the Buet authorities expelled the 26 students for their involvement in the Abrar murder and on November 28, they suspended nine others for their involvement in ragging at Suhrawardy and Ahsan Ullah Halls.

On December 3, the university authorities issued a notice stating that they would expel any student found to be involved in ragging that leads to death, serious “bodily harm”, any form of disability, permanent mental imbalance or trauma, and the disruption of academic life of any fellow student.

Meanwhile, the Jahangirnagar University authorities yesterday decided to open all dormitories from today after a month-long shut down following an attack allegedly by BCL men on protesting teachers and students. The incident left more than 20 injured on November 5. 

“An emergency syndicate meeting, chaired by JU vice-chancellor, decided that all dormitories will open from Thursday while classes and examinations will begin on Sunday,” said JU Acting Registrar Rahima Kaneez. 

“The syndicate urged all stakeholders of the university to cooperate with the authorities to maintain a congenial academic environment on the campus,” she added. 

On the other hand, the protesting teachers and students declared they would bring out a procession today on the campus demanding the removal of JU VC and the punishment of those who swooped on protesting teachers and students. 

The protesters will also publish a record book on December 10 on the VC’s irregularities and allegations. 

Contacted, Prof Rayhan Rhyne, co-coordinator of the platform “Jahangirnagar Against Corruption”, said, “One of our three demands was to reopen the dormitories. We will continue our protest until the other two demands are met.” 

He added that they would remain alert so that academic activities are not disrupted by their protest programmes.