Governing body chief, college principal to step down; Fulbarhia demonstrations postponed

The demonstrators demanding nationalisation of the Fulbarhia Degree College in Mymensingh have suspended their agitations for a month after the local MP agreed to step down as governing body chairman along with the principal of the college.

The decision came on Wednesday after a meeting between Religious Affair Minister Matior Rahman and the college teachers.

“Principal Nasir Uddin and the management body chief Moslem Uddin have agreed to step down,” Minister Rahman said after the meeting with the delegation of college teachers.

In response, the protestors have also agreed to suspend the demonstrations for a month, he added.

A six-member delegation of the teachers headed by M Abul Hashem, who is the convener of the demonstrators’ platform, took part in the meeting.

The meeting, which lasted for over four hours, was also attended by Fulbarhia MP and the college governing body President Moslem Uddin, Divisional Commissioner GM Saleh Uddin and Mymensingh Range police chief Abdullah Al Mamun.

Fulbarhia Degree College teacher Hashem, however, said they were ‘not satisfied.’

“We have suspended the demonstration, but will continue to press on our demand to nationalise the college,” he added.

Fulbarhia MP Uddin said that he failed to hold a meeting with the teachers ‘despite several attempts earlier’.

“This situation could have been avoided,” the MP added.

On Sunday, clashes erupted between police and demonstrators at the Fulbarhia Upazila town leaving 50-year-old botany teacher Abul Kalam Azad dead.

A 70-year-old Fulbarhia resident Safar Ali was also killed during the clash in which police charged batons to disperse the agitating students and teachers.

Police have started a case over attack on law enforcers and obstruction of government duty against 300 to 400 unidentified persons while Ali’s family lodged case over his death.