No classes, exams at JU

Classes and examinations in most of the departments of Jahangirnagar University were not held yesterday, as the JU Teachers' Association observed work abstention demanding resignation of its Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain.
On Wednesday afternoon, following a meeting with the teachers' association, Prof Anwar had declared to quit as the VC, but late in the night he backtracked from the decision saying the education minister and students had requested him to stay on.
In the meantime, the teachers' association had given him 72 hours to officially place the resignation. It had also announced to go for work abstention until the VC officially resigned.
They alleged that the VC had failed to ensure security on campus and was spoiling the academic atmosphere by falsely claiming that Tuesday's violence on campus after the death of a student was led by Islami Chhatra Shibir, a pro-Jamaat student body.
On Tuesday, fourth-year statistics student Md Malek, who suddenly fell ill, died allegedly due to negligence of the medical centre of the university. Later, when he was rushed to a nearby hospital the doctors said he succumbed to cardiac arrest.
The news had created tension on the campus. Agitated students vandalised the residences of the VC, treasurer and some other teachers, and the JU central gate and the registrar building.
After the violence and also in the meeting with the teachers' association on Wednesday, Prof Anwar Hossain had claimed that the attackers were Shibir activists.
Yesterday students of statistics department at the university distributed leaflets on the campus identifying certain lapses for Malek's death. They include poor management at the medical centre, use of expired-date medicines and saline, and scarcity of ambulances.
The students also demanded the university authorities provide a befitting job to one of the family members of Malek, since he was the only breadwinner for the family.