A group of students of Pabna University of Science and Technology (Pust) staged a protest demanding the removal of the assistant proctor of the institution on Saturday.
At the same time, another group of students staged a counter-protest at the same place on behalf of the assistant proctor, claiming that the allegations made by the first group were false.
Both protests were staged in front of the university's administration building at around 2:30pm.
Both groups were later removed by the Pro Vice Chancellor Mustafa Kamal Khan and Proctor Kamal Hossain after they assured them that the matter would be investigated.
According to Pust sources, the first protest took place under the leadership of students from the Department of Social Work. They started chanting slogans demanding the removal of the university's Assistant Proctor and economics department teacher Akash Bepari.
After a while, the students of various departments including the students of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall of the university started chanting slogans claiming that the accusations against the assistant proctor were false.
A social work department student, Pranto, said the assistant proctor went to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall without maintaining any protocol, and verbally abused some students. “When other students protested, he threatened them. From where did an assistant proctor get the right to abuse students? We want his removal.”
However, students who protested agaisnt the matter, said the assistant proctor went to the hall to save the students from a gang who were collecting extortion.
Sweet Mondal, a final year student of the economics department said that on Saturday morning, some people led by Shanu, a student of social work department, came to room 521 of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall and demanded extortion.
“When I protested, they started beating me. I called Assistant Proctor Aakash Bepari sir asking for help. Sir rushed to the spot and tried to save me from their attack. The students insulted sir as well,” he added.
In this regard, Assistant Proctor Akash Bepari said: “I am the assistant proctor and residential teacher of the university. When I was informed about the dispute over extortion, I quickly went there.
“After rescuing the sweet Mondol, I requested the two parties to go to the proctor's office and talk about the matter. But some students of the social work department started behaving aggressively. After a while I saw them chanting slogans against me in front of the administration building.”