Stalemate at HSTU
Academic activities at Hajee Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) in Dinajpur have seriously been hampered as a section of teachers have been boycotting classes since November 14 to realise their demands, including removal of the registrar.
Meanwhile, the students have started agitation since Monday demanding resumption of their classes. They locked the administrative and academic buildings on Tuesday and the day before.
Dinajpur-Rangpur highway will be blocked if needed, threatened the agitating students.
Classes were expected to resume from January 27, said the students. However, the agitating teachers said they did not say that classes would start on Sunday.
Currently the university has 10,500 students, including 170 foreign students. There are eight faculties at HSTU.
Around 90 out of 220 teachers of different faculties have been boycotting classes to realise their demands. Of them, 61 assistant professors have been continuing their agitation, protesting their salary discrimination while the rest are protesting against scuffles between the agitating teachers and administrative officials that occurred on November 14 and 29 last year.
Al Amin, a student of fisheries department, said not a single class was held since November 14 and no examination was held in last two and half months.
He urged the prime minister to intervene in the crisis.
Abdur Rashid Palash, an agitating teacher of Social Science Department, said the vice chancellor is yet to take any initiative to resolve the crisis.
This correspondent tried to reach VC Dr M Kashem for his comment, but he neither was at his office nor received the phone call. An SMS was also sent to his cellphone around 12:15pm yesterday.
Dr Md Shafiul Alam, registrar of HSTU, said a committee will be formed soon to investigate the incidents of November 14 and 29. Besides, salary discrimination issue will be resolved within February 15.
No class was held yesterday, he said.
Palash said they will not join their classes until their demands, including removal of registrar, are met.
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