CU students protest Sanskrit teacher attending promotion meeting

The teacher alleges that he was the victim of “mob harassment” and that “false information” was being spread to publicly humiliate him

A group of students at Chittagong University have locked the administrative building in protest, opposing the presence of a particular teacher on the faculty promotion board.

In response to their demands, the university administration later announced that the activities of the promotion board had been suspended.

The board meeting, scheduled for 3pm on Friday, was intended to review the promotion of two teachers from the Sanskrit department.

However, students had already gathered in front of the administrative building, staging a demonstration. They later marched to the office of Vice-Chancellor Yahya Akhtar.

Sanskrit department’s Assistant Professor Kushal Baran Chakraborty, who is one of the promotion candidates, also arrived at the VC’s office. There, in the presence of the vice-chancellor, he was confronted by protesting students.

Following the confrontation, the university suspended the promotion board in the evening, and the students ended their demonstration.

A video of the incident at the VC’s office later spread on social media. One group also staged a protest in the city, claiming that Kushal had been "held hostage" by the students.

The protesting students alleged that Kushal is a "collaborator of authoritarianism" and an "accused in a murder case", questioning how such a person could participate in a promotion board meeting.

In response, Kushal alleged that he was the victim of “mob harassment” and the protesters were spreading “false information” to publicly humiliate him in front of the vice-chancellor.

He said that he is not an accused in any case.

Around 2:30pm on Friday, the demonstrators began shouting slogans in front of the administrative building, calling Kushal an "accomplice of fascism".

Among the protesters were members of student groups like the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Islami Chhatra Shibir, and Islami Chhatra Andolon.

Ashiqur Rahman, one of the students involved, told bdnews24.com: “Kushal Baran Chakraborty is a lackey of the autocratic Awami League. He is accused in the Saiful Islam Alif murder case. How could he attend today’s promotion board meeting?”

Speaking to bdnews24.com, Kushal said: “I went to the promotion board meeting and became the victim of a terrible incident. They carried out mob violence against me. I don’t even know if they are students, their behaviour certainly didn’t seem like it.”

Reacting to the board's suspension, he said: “Apparently, the promotion board has been postponed. Anything is possible here. 50 people raise their voices, and suddenly the board is cancelled.”

Refuting the allegation that he is accused in the Alif murder case, he said: “At the time of that incident, I was in Dhaka receiving medical treatment. I had officially taken leave from the university. I wasn’t even in Chattogram, and there’s no case against me.”

Abu Nasim, another protester, added: “On the 4th of August, there was a silent rally on campus in support of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

“One of our key demands today was that the administration take action against all who participated in that rally. The administration has assured us that action will be taken, which is why we ended the protest.”