SUST students join teachers’ movement for removal of VC, give 48-hour deadline

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology have joined the agitation with teachers demanding removal of Vice Chancellor Aminul Haque Bhuyan within 48 hours.

To declare their solidarity with the movement, around 11am on Thursday, nearly 200 students in a procession went in front of Bhuyan’s residence where a faction of the teachers were staging a token hunger strike.

The students also chanted slogans in support of the cause.

“We believe attacking teachers was a heinous move. The vice-chancellor will have to take the responsibility. If he is not removed by Saturday, we will intensify our movement from Sunday,” Sayema Arefin, a student of the Bengali department, warned.

However, Proctor Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said the students did not take their permission to take out the procession and said legal actions would be taken against the participants.

Meanwhile, the token strike of teachers lasted from 9am to 1pm. Head of the eight SUST offices abstained work from 9am to 11am protesting the attack on teachers earlier this week.

They are Registrar Muhammad Isfakul Hossain, College Inspector Prodip Kumar Basak, Librarian Abdul Hye Chameni, Chief Medical Officer Mahbubur Rahman, Planning and Development Director Mollah Akbar Hossain, Examinations Controller Md Mujibur Rahman, University Engineer Syed Habibur Rahman and Deputy Director of the office of Physical Education Chowdhury Saud Bin Ambia.

A teachers’ faction - ‘Mohan Muktijuddher Chetanay Udbuddha Shikshak Parishad’ - has been seeking the VC’s removal since Apr 12, accusing him of misconduct, irregularities and corruption.

However, another pro-government faction claims the movement is a conspiracy to destabilise the university.

Chhatra League activists attacked the demonstrators on Aug 30, snatching their banner before manhandling and pushing them away from the administrative building.