RU closed sine die
RU closed sine die
Authorities have closed the Rajshahi University for an indefinite period after more than 100 students were injured in an attack by police and BCL activists today.
The resident students have been asked to leave their dormitories by 8:00am Monday.
The decision came at a syndicate meeting of the university this evening, Abdul Alim, a member of the syndicate, told our RU correspondent.
Over 100 students of Rajshahi University were injured as police charged batons and fired rubber bullets on the demonstrating students today.
Of them, 18 people including eight journalists sustained rubber bullet wounds, reports our RU correspondent quoting witnesses.
The demonstration started on January 16 demanding cancellation of the university authorities' decision of fee hike and continuing the evening master's programmes.
The activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of ruling Awami League, also joined the law enforcers to foil the students' movement, witnesses said.
The situation however became normal around 2:30pm.
The university authorities sat in an emergency syndicate meeting at the residence of Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin, the vice-chancellor of the university, around 7:00pm. The meeting continued for around two hours.
Today's incident began when around 5,000 agitating students resumed their demonstration for third consecutive day after a one-day break on Friday, and padlocked all academic and administrative buildings around 7:00am.
They kept the proctor and some other teachers confined inside their offices for two hours.
During the incident, a chase and counter-chase was took place among law enforcers, BCL men and students when this report was filed around 2:30pm.
When the demonstration was going on two crude bombs were exploded near the administrative building 10:20am, said GM Shamsur Nur, officer-in-charge (OC) of Motihar Police Station.
At one stage, the police personnel who posted on the campus charged batons and fired rubber bullets on the students, said Proloy Sisim, assistant commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.
During the police action around 11:50am, more than 100 students were injured, a sub-inspector told The Daily Star seeking anonymity.
Several injured people were undergoing treatment at university medical centre and Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital.
Though the RU authorities postponed their decision to hike fee yesterday in the face of the demonstration, the students are continuing their programme for cancellation of the decision.
They alleged that the university authorities suspended the fee hike decision as part of a ploy to end the ongoing movement.
The authorities however declared to continue evening master's programmes introduced at seven departments of the social science faculty last month.
On December 22 last year, the university syndicate made the decision to increase different fees of the university which was scheduled to come into effect from yesterday.
Honours examination fee was increased from Tk 50 to Tk 100, course development fee from Tk 100 to Tk 500, certificate withdrawal fee from Tk 200 to Tk 500 and mark-sheet withdrawal fee from Tk 225 to Tk 600.