Dhaka, July 15 (bdnews24.com) -- Demonstrating teachers, students and officials of the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET) has urged the Chancellor and President Mohammad Zillur Rahman to remove the university's Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor.
The demonstrators, who have been staging sit-in protests since July 11 at the university's administrative building, took out a silent procession around 11.30am on Sunday and headed to Bangabhaban, the President's official residence.
Police barred the procession at Doyel Chattar. A four-strong delegation, led by BUET Teachers' Association President Professor Mujibur Rahman, went to Bangabhaban and submitted a memorandum to the President seeking the VC and his deputy's removal.
Earlier, the teachers' platform's executive committee member Mohammad Ehsan read out the memorandum at the Doyel Chattar.
It says, "A chaotic situation has been created at the university since the current Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor took over two years back. This is constantly embarrassing the government and leading the university to decline.
"We hope that you (the President) will relieve the current Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor [from their current responsibilities] to resolve the crisis, and that [you will] appoint only a Vice-Chancellor following BUET's long-standing custom, and take strong steps to uphold the institution's tradition."
The demonstrators returned to BUET campus from Doyel Chattar around 12:45 pm. The teachers' association Treasurer Ataur Rahman said that they would continue with their demonstration until their demands were met. If needed, teachers would resign en masse, he added.
On July 11, as many as 24 teachers, including chairmen of 16 departments and deans of five faculties resigned from their administrative posts over the demand. However, BUET Vice-Chancellor Nazrul Islam said that he would not accept any 'unethical' demand and stand down.
Earlier, the university's teachers' association had abstained from work from Apr 7 to May 5 demanding resignations of VC and Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor M Habibur Rahman alleging irregularities. They postponed their programmes after being assured by the Prime Minister of taking steps.
However, from July 7, the teachers resumed their demonstration abstaining from work for two hours everyday as their demands remained unmet.
The protests sparked further after the authorities shut university last Tuesday night, a month in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation, as the agitating teachers continued their movement demanding the VC, Pro-VC's removal. But the teachers and students denounced the decision and continued with their sit-in programme.
The Syndicate sat in an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening and decided to request the government to form a judicial commission to probe allegations against the VC and the Pro VC. However, the protesting teachers and students rejected the syndicate's offer and announced to continue with their demonstration until the two top university administrators removed.
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