The agitating students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have reiterated their demand for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin in their meeting with Education Minister Dipu Moni.
Dipu said that demand for the resignation of the VC will be presented to the president as he, also the Chancellor of the university, holds the power to appoint and remove someone in the post of VC.
The students raised a total of eight demands during the three-hour meeting with the education minister at the Circuit House in Sylhet on Friday.
After the meeting, Dipu told reporters, “We have listened to them attentively during the discussions.”
“However, some of the demands of the students have already been met. Their main demand is the resignation or removal of the VC,” she added.
The other demands made by the students- start of classes and examinations, withdrawal of cases against students, opening of closed mobile banking accounts of more than 250 students, provision of one-time financial assistance to student Sajal Kunda who was injured in police firing and confirmation of ninth grade job for him, recruit Md Zafar Iqbal and Yasmin Haque as Emeritus Professors, increase the budget for research in all universities, implementation of coding system in examination system, introduction of recruitment process on the basis of PhD and demo class in teacher recruitment.
Apart from Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed were in the meeting with the students, teachers and different SUST organisations.
Meanwhile, Dipu Moni advised Farid Uddin Ahmed to fulfill his responsibilities as the VC of SUST, said SUST Registrar Md Ishfaqul Hussain.
He also said the minister called upon the teachers to restore normalcy on campus during the talks.
The education minister also informed that the allegations made by students against the VC are being investigated, said SUST Treasurer Anwarul Islam.
At the end of the investigation, the president will make all the decisions, he added.
Besides, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Day will be held on February 14. The education minister has asked to take steps to ensure that the day is observed properly, said the treasurer.
Earlier, a three-member ministerial team, led by Education Minister Dipu Moni, arrived in Sylhet Friday morning to hold talks with the protesting students of SUST.
The SUST students resumed their protests Wednesday, after their demand for the removal of VC was not met.
The protests began in the middle of January. And over two dozen SUST students who went on fast unto death ended their strike on January 26. They broke the fast after former SUST Prof Zafar Iqbal offered them water to drink.
The students embarked on the hunger strike on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of the VC over the police crackdown on their fellows.
The strike was launched after police swooped on the protesting students, charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets. On the other hand, the police had filed a case against 300 unnamed protesting students.
The alleged attack was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university’s IICT building, and it had left 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and cops.
Zafrin Ahmed, a provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints.
She later resigned from her post, citing health issues.
Source: United News of Bangladesh