Bangladesh
SUST Protest SUST closed indefinitely over student protest, students directed to leave hall
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, January 17: Authorities have closed the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) indefinitely due to clashes between police and agitating students.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, said this on Sunday (January 16) night. He said the decision was taken at an emergency syndicate meeting on the current situation at the university. Besides, the students have been instructed to leave the dormitory hall by 12 noon on Monday.
Earlier on Sunday afternoon, the students had blocked the Vice-Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed. Later in the evening, the students chased with the policemen who went to rescue the VC. At least 30 people, including five cops, 10 teacher-official-employees and 15 students, were injured in the tussle.
The students were protesting against the mismanagement of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall of the university, misbehaviour of the provost and arbitrary conduct. The deadline set for the university administration to comply with the three-point demand expired at 7 pm on Saturday. As the provost body did not resign, the residential students started protesting again. They demonstrated on the ground of the university. Students from different departments of the university also joined them.
The clashes erupted during the students' movement in protest of the attak on their sit-in demonstration with three-point demands, including the resignation of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall provost body. The students were protesting for the fourth day on Sunday.
Students blocked Vice-Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed at the university's IICT building on Sunday afternoon for not accepting the three-point demand. The students announced that they would not let him out until he accepted the demands.
Later the police entered the IICT building of the university and went to free the blocked vice-chancellor. At that time, the protesting students tried to prevent the cops from entering. At one stage, policemen restored to lathicharge to disperse the protesting students. Then the students threw bricks aiming at the cops. Police retreated for some time, then they dispersed the agitators by lobbing tear gas shells, and firing rubber bullets as well as sound grenades.
Police rescued the vice-chancellor from the IICT building after the protesters left the scene.
