Take measures for VC’s removal
Sust Teachers' Association yesterday urged the government to take steps for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed and to meet all demands of the students, so that their hunger strike stops.
The association also called for the formation of a neutral probe body to investigate the police action of January 16, Dr Tulshi Kumar Das, president of the teachers body, told media after a meeting of the association.
On Saturday night, four Sust students joined their fellows in a hunger strike demanding the VC's resignation.
This takes the number of fasting students to 27.
Of the 23 students who have been fasting since Wednesday afternoon, 16 were taken to different hospitals. They are yet to break their fast.
At Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital and Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, doctors told this correspondent that the students were refusing to eat or take oral medication and their health was failing.
A spokesperson for the demonstrators said two of the hospitalised students were asthmatic and one was diabetic.
The protesters blocked the entry to VC's residence yesterday afternoon and disconnected the water and electricity supplies to the residence around 7:00pm, the spokesperson added.
On January 13, a group of resident students began demonstrating, alleging that their provost, Zafrin Ahmed Liza, misbehaved with a student who called her to report bad food and other issues.
On January 16, police fired rubber bullets and threw sound grenades in a clash that left over 30 students injured.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dipu Moni spoke with a delegation of the protestors in a video call early yesterday for almost an hour. The students said they would not break their fast until the VC resigned.
"The VC continues meeting with people as if nothing is happening. We are blocking the gate. No one, except police and reporters, will be allowed to enter or exit the residence," a spokesperson told reporters.
TWO MPS DEMAND SUST VC'S RESIGNATION
Jatiya Party lawmakers Kazi Feroz Rashid and Pir Fazlur Rahman, speaking on a point of order in parliament yesterday, said the VC should resign and criticised the education minister for urging the students to travel to Dhaka.
"We have all been involved in student movements. We know that no student will ever leave the field and come to Dhaka. The minister should wear two masks and go there," Feroz said.
He added that VCs' positions are not permanent and that the university would not be closed if the VC left.
"There is nothing more tragic than students on a hunger strike for the removal of a vice-chancellor.
"I think there is no need to form an enquiry committee, nor is there a need to discuss with anyone. I will urge the education minister and the prime minister to remove the vice-chancellor by today [yesterday]."
Pir Fazlur said, "If he does not want to resign voluntarily, the government should remove him by today [yesterday]."
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