'BCL halts' construction of RU research centre

The construction work of the “Liberation War Research Centre” at Rajshahi University has remained suspended for four days as Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders allegedly barred the RU authorities from continuing it.

On Monday, 15 to 20 BCL leaders and activists of the RU unit rushed to the construction site and forced the workers to leave the place, alleged some staff of the university's central library, seeking anonymity.

Since then, the construction work has been halted.

On March 14, the RU authorities started constructing the research centre to preserve rare documents, documentaries, films, music, digital and print versions of newspapers and magazines of the 1971 Liberation War, officials said.

RU unit BCL General Secretary Faysal Ahmed Runu, however, denied the allegation. “As far as I know, no Chhatra League member went there and stopped the work.”

Prof Shafiqunnabi Samadi, the coordinator of the construction work, said, “We feel helpless as some 20-30 youths came there and forced them to stop the work.”

“What can we do then? We know they are students, we cannot fight them.”

He said he cannot complain to the vice chancellor or the pro-VC as their tenures expired on Sunday.

He, however, said an 11-member committee, which is entrusted with supervising the construction work, might hold a meeting next week to resolve the crisis.