Five students arrested on case filing, later expelled

Students of Pabna University of Science and Technology stage a sit-in on the road in front of the administrative building after parading the town (inset) yesterday demanding release of five students arrested on charge of unruly activities on the campus earlier on the day.Photo: STAR

The authorities of Pabna University of Science and Technology yesterday expelled five students following their arrest on charge of unruly activists earlier on the day.
The authorities also announced closure of the university from August 5 to September 4 'on the occasion of August 15, Eid-ul-Fitr, and puja'.
The expelled students are Md Baki Billah of computer science and engineering, also convener of the 'students' agitation committee', Mahadi Hassan of physics, Sajjad Hossain Jitu and Khalid Hossian of mathematics, and Al Amin of electrical and electronic engineering department.
"According to the decision of the 16th Regent Board meeting, the five students have been expelled from the institution for violating university law," said a press release issued by Bijon Kumar Bromma, deputy registrar of the university.
University sources, however, said there was actually no meeting of the Regent Board, the highest administrative committee of the university, yesterday although officially all the papers were prepared for holding it.
Talking to the members of the Regent Board, it was learnt that most of them did not even know about the meeting yesterday.
“University authorities issue notice to us before holding Regent Board meeting. But I did not know of any Regent Board meeting today [Wednesday],” Md Tanvirul Haque, chairman of Rajshahi education board, also a member of PUST Regent Board, told this correspondent yesterday.
When this correspondent visited the university administrative building to collect information about the Regent Board meeting, the vice chancellor, the registrar and other high officials declined to talk to journalists. Even their cell phones were found switched off in the afternoon.
Earlier in the morning, police arrested five students of the university when agitating students gathered at Mojahid Club area near the university.
"Police arrested them following a case filed by the university proctor accusing 30/35 students on charge of attacking teachers of the university today," said Md Afzal Hossain, officer in charge of Pabna Sadar police station.
The university authorities could not start classes yesterday due to students' agitation.
Talking with this correspondent, agitating students claimed they did not attack the proctor or teachers.
They vowed to continue movement until realisation of their demands.
The students started agitation demanding removal of the vice chancellor on July 29.
Earlier on July 17, agitated students started demonstration with their eight-point demands that include introduction of 'short semester system' for promotion, amendment to present GPA (Grade Point Average) system, cancellation of results published according to the running GPA system, eight years' registration validity instead of present six years, recruitment of experienced teachers, construction of university campus hurriedly, and end to 'ill-treatment' by the teachers.