Following two weeks of student protests, authorities at the Islamic University (IU) finally gave in to the demands of the demonstrators and relieved university proctor Mahabubur Rahman from his duties yesterday.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor Abdul Hakim Sarker called an academic council meeting yesterday afternoon, where Prof Lokman Hakim, a teacher of the Islamic history and culture department, was appointed as the new IU proctor.
Students under the banner of Chhatra Sangram Parishad launched their demonstrations following a clash between the police and Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on August 24; they demanded the withdrawal of the proctor claiming that he had ordered the police to shoot at a BCL procession. The violence also prompted the IU authorities to shut down the university until September 8.
Although the university officially reopened yesterday, no class or exam took place. The students continued to demonstrate by blocking the Kushtia-Khulna highway in the morning, ignoring a previous IU directive that banned all kinds of political activities on the campus for an indefinite period.
Meanwhile, BCL activists allegedly vandalised five university buses on Monday night, protesting the suspension of two of their leaders. The buses were vandalised at the university bus depot at around 10pm.
The BCL’s IU unit Joint Convener Shajibul Islam Sajib and activist Salauddin were suspended on Monday evening, after several media published pictures that showed them carrying arms.
Following an administrative meeting of the university, Mahbubur Rahman, the immediate past proctor, had said: “Several media published the pictures of Sajib and Salauddin with arms. So they have been suspended.
“A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate the incident. Permanent measures will be taken regarding the matter once the committee submits its report,” he said.
The two suspended BCL members have reportedly gone into hiding after their photos were published.
Kushtia Police Superintendent Proloy Shichim said: “No one is above the law. The arms in the pictures published in media is illegal for sure and whoever possesses illegal arms will be brought to trial even if they are at large.”