77 more teachers join agitation

A few students loiter in a classroom of English Department of Jahangirnagar University on Saturday. Academic activities were disrupted since Wednesday morning as a group of teachers under the banner Sadharon Shikkhak Forum have confined the JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain in his office demanding his resignation or removal. Photo: Rashed Shumon

The stalemate at Jahangirnagar University (JU) that brewed over the demand for the removal of its vice-chancellor stepped into fourth consecutive day on Saturday as the demonstrating teachers remain firm on their demand.
A group of 50 teachers under the banner of Sadharon Shikkhak Forum of the university have kept confined Prof Anwar Hossain, the vice-chancellor of the JU, to his office since 11:00am Wednesday to press home their one-point demand.
On the fourth day of the demonstration, 77 more teachers including senate members, syndicate members, faculty deans, hall provosts and department chairmen of the university expressed their solidarity with the forum around 11:50am, reports our JU correspondent.
Against the backdrop of the situation, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid started a meeting with a delegation of the demonstrating teachers around  5:00pm Saturday at his official Minto Road residence to find a peaceful solution. The meeting was going on till 9:45pm when the report was updated.
The 77 teachers who joined the demonstrating ones also staged sit-in for around 20 minutes in front of the vice-chancellor's office wearing black badges around.
The forum has started the movement bringing 18 allegations against the VC.
The major ones are anomaly in the admission process and teachers’ appointments, and ruining the campus by taking up unnecessary projects and misusing university funds.
Meanwhile, the leaders and activists of Chhatra Front, a left students’ organisation at the university, brought out a procession on the campus around 11:50am demanding immediate end to the deadlock.

Hanif Ali, convener of the teachers' forum, told reporters that a team of the agitating teachers will meet the education minister at his residence at 5:00pm while others will continue the movement until the resignation of the VC.

When contacted, the embattled VC Saturday again termed the teachers’ demand as baseless and illogical.

"The onus is on the chancellor and the education minister," he said.