BAU shutdown: Students defy hall vacate order, place 6-point demand

Despite the authorities' order to vacate dormitories following an indefinite closure on Sunday night, most male students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) have refused to leave.

Yesterday morning, students brought out processions on campus wielding sticks and declared they would not leave the halls.

At a press conference at the university's Aamtola around 11:30am, they placed a six-point demand.

Their demands included the withdrawal of the order to vacate halls, the resignation of the proctorial body within 24 hours, an apology from the vice chancellor for the attack on students, justice against those involved in the attack, including teachers, and the implementation of a single combined degree.

Photo: Star

The students gave the authorities until 2:00pm to respond, but when no steps were taken, they blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh rail route around 4:00pm, halting train services for over two hours.

The blockade was withdrawn around 6:15pm, and rail communication resumed, said Md Akter Hossain, officer-in-charge of Government Railway Police Station in Mymensingh.

In the evening, the agitating students held another press conference on campus, where they reiterated their six-point demands and alleged the administration had not responded.

"We want to resolve the ongoing crisis through fruitful discussions. If our demands are not fulfilled shortly, we will go for tougher movement," said Ahsanul Haque Himel, a third-year student of the Faculty of Animal Husbandry.

Contacted, BAU Proctor Prof Md Abdul Alim said there was no new decision regarding the crisis.

Mymensingh Superintendent of Police Kazi Akhtarul Alam said law enforcers have been deployed in and around the campus, particularly at the first gate of the university, and remain on alert to prevent any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, many female students began leaving their halls early yesterday, saying the sudden shutdown created difficulties as they live far from campus.

Still, fearing for their safety, they chose to go. "We came here to study, not for violence or vandalism. Attacks on ordinary students by outsiders cannot be tolerated," said one female student.

The university was declared closed indefinitely after an emergency syndicate meeting held online around 9:30pm Sunday. Students were instructed to vacate the halls by 9:00am Monday.

The decision followed an incident earlier in the day when outsiders allegedly attacked protesting students, who had confined over 200 teachers, including the vice chancellor, during an academic council meeting on the demand for a single combined degree.

At least seven students were injured in the attack.