Buet students protest BCL gathering on campus

Several hundred Buet students yesterday took to the streets protesting a gathering of Chhatra League activists in the middle of night on the campus where political activities are banned.

Some central BCL leaders entered the campus around 2:00am on Thursday while 100-150 activists were seen carrying garlands, the protesters said.

BCL sources said leaders of the new committee of Government Bangla College unit BCL and other activists gathered on the campus to greet BCL President Saddam Hossain.

Saddam did not respond to our calls for comments.

The Buet authorities banned political activities on the campus after Fahad Abrar, a second-year student, was beaten to death by some BCL activists at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall on October 7, 2019.

The students placed a six-point demand, including expulsion of 21st batch civil engineering student and central BCL leader Imtiaz Hossain Rahim and others responsible for the gathering, during their demonstration at the university's Shaheed Minar.

Later in the evening, the Buet authorities cancelled the allotment of Imtiaz's seat at Titumir Hall and formed a committee to probe the incident.

During the protest earlier in the day, the students also demanded the resignation of director of the Directorate of Students' Welfare at Buet.

They called for a boycott of all academic activities, including the term finals, today and tomorrow.

They said the Buet authorities must clarify why the BCL activists were allowed to enter the campus.

The demonstrators also expressed concern about their safety as the outsiders entered the campus in the middle of night.

In a written statement, they said that after political activities were banned on the Buet campus, it has become one of the safest campuses in Bangladesh.

The ban came after Abrar was killed by some BCL activists, they said and alleged that those involved in the incident are trying to destroy the congenial atmosphere of the campus.

Asked, BCL General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan told The Daily Star that there may be restrictions on student politics at Buet. But any programme in the name of Bangabandhu can be held anywhere in the country.

"A group of Buet students organised a Sehri distribution programme for the underprivileged late at night, where some Chhatra League leaders attended," he said.

Buet VC Satya Prasad Majumder and DSW Director Mizanur Rahman did not respond to our calls for comments.