Eight Shahjalal University students hospitalised on the third day of hunger strike

Twenty-three students, including those who were hospitalised, have fallen sick so far on the third day of the hunger strike in Sylhet on Friday.

“The rest of the students, who are sick but not hospitalised, were put on a saline drip at the protest venue,” said one of the protesters, Shahriar Abedin, a physics student.

“It has been 40 hours since we launched the strike at 3 pm on Wednesday. Eight protesters have been hospitalised so far. They refused to break their fast despite doctors’ advice to do so. Blood sugar level, pressure and pulse rate of fasting protesters have deteriorated due to hunger.”

“The VC would have resigned if he had the moral compass. We will continue fasting until he steps down,” Shahriar said.

Among the students admitted to the hospital, five have been receiving treatment at Osmani Medical College Hospital, two at Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College and Hospital and one at Mount Adora Hospital in Sylhet, said Sabur Khan, a student of the Industrial and Production Engineering Department of the university.

“The conditions of two students admitted to Osmani Medical College Hospital are deteriorating. Another protester left the strike after his father had a heart attack.”

Students began protests to demand the resignation of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall provost Zafrin Ahmed Liza after she allegedly ‘misbehaved’ with a student.

Though she was eventually removed, students have continued their campaign for the resignation of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed after police used batons and tear shells to break up a protest.

The protests entered their ninth day on Friday.

Police filed a case against 300 unnamed students on Wednesday over the protesters’ clash with the law-enforcement agency.