JU authority to call in police to vacate halls

Jahangirnagar University has announced that it will call in police if students fail to vacate dormitories by the 3:30 pm deadline on Wednesday.

The provost committee took the decision on Wednesday amid ongoing protests against the vice chancellor for alleged corruption.

The students have to leave the hostels by 3:30 pm, Prof Bashir Ahmed, provost of Sheikh Hasina Hall, told bdnews24.com.

“After that, we’ll seek help from the police if needed to vacate the halls.”

The authorities shut down the university on Tuesday for an indefinite period after activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League attacked protesters who demanded Vice-Chancellor Professor Farzana Islam resign.

But the move did little to quell the unrest as students and teachers continued their protest on Wednesday.

They gathered on the campus' Murad Chattar around 9 am and drove out the staffers and officials from the new administrative building.

More than hundred students brought out a procession from Murad Chattar at 10:30 am demanding the VC’s resignation. They chanted slogans against the decision to close down the halls and Chhatra League’s attack on protesters.

“We’ll move our protest programme forward step by step. We can’t share our course of action at the moment as the halls are being vacated and students are not safe in the hands of the university administration,” said Prof Raihan Rayeen, a spokesperson for the protesters.

Acting Proctor ASM Feroz Ul Hasan, however, claimed the protest rally and procession was 'illegal'.

“The highest administrative body of the university syndicate decided for the students to vacate halls and shut down the campus. It is illegal and in violation of the law to defy the decision and stage rallies and processions. I urge them all to follow the law,” he told bdnews24.com.