Folklore dept chairman confined for 8 hours

The students of folklore at Rajshahi University confined the department chairman for eight hours yesterday, following a row over allocation of a classroom.

Earlier on Wednesday, the students of folklore and history departments scuffled to take control over the classroom allocated for the history students.

Following the clash, the folklore students locked all the classrooms, including the disputed one, in Sirajee Building, department sources said.

When Prof Akhtar Hossain, the chairman, unlocked the classroom yesterday, the agitating students confined him to the room between 9:00am and 5:00pm.

During the period, they demonstrated in front of his office, demanding his withdrawal.

He was released after Vice Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan assured those students of solving the issue.

However, the demonstrators began a class and exam boycotts, declaring that they will continue movements until the demand is met.

The folklore students had been using the classroom since the inception of the department.

In 2011, the RU authorities allocated it to the history department.