RU teachers boycott classes

Teachers of fine arts department at Rajshahi University (RU) yesterday boycotted classes protesting confinement of proctor, department chairman and three teachers to office and classroom on Monday.
They also submitted a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan demanding exemplary punishment to the students involved in the incident. The teachers also urged the university authorities to ensure their security at the department.
Students of fine arts department on Monday confined Proctor Prof Chowdhury Zakaria, department Chairman Abdul Motin Talukdar and three teachers to office and classroom protesting abrupt increase in fees for filling up examination forms.
The authorities recently hiked the fees for filling up final year examination forms of the students of 2006-07 session from Tk 350 to Tk 3,030.
The agitating students also vandalised the department's windows, notice board and furniture and burnt an effigy of the department chairman.
The protesters along with the students of different sessions locked the chairman's office confining Chairman Prof Abdul Matin Talukdar and two teachers of the department--Prof Sidhartha Sankar Talukdar and Humayun Kabir--to the room.
They also confined the proctor to a classroom as he could not give any assurance to resolve the issue.
Prof Abdul Matin Talukdar told this correspondent yesterday that they would launch their next programme if the unruly students were not punished immediately.
Meanwhile, the students of the department yesterday withdrew their agitation programme as Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan on Tuesday assured them of resolving the matter.