The authorities of Rajshahi University are facing tougher stance from both the city unit Awami League and university unit Bangladesh Chhatra League, although the vice-chancellor of the university has been verbally assaulted by some leaders of the ruling party four days back.
Teachers and students of the RU yesterday continued their agitation on campus for the third consecutive day, demanding punishment of the leaders of AL who assaulted the RU VC.
On Saturday, Rajshahi city AL leaders in a press conference claimed that the news of assaulting the VC was not true. They also demanded an apology from the VC and some senior teachers of the RU for misbehaving with them.
They also threatened to launch a movement against the RU VC for his removal, if he does not seek an apology within seven days.
At the press conference, the ruling party men claimed they had gone to the VC’s office to inform him about irregularities which were going on at the university, but he along with some senior teachers misbehaved with them.
Rajshahi city unit AL General Secretary Dablu Sarker was present at the press conference where Vice-President Mahfuzur Rahman Loton read out a written statement.
Meanwhile, RU unit BCL also submitted a memorandum with a seven-point demand to the VC on Saturday and also threatened a tougher movement to remove him if their demands are not meet soon.
Several BCL leaders, however, wishing anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune the BCL had submitted the memorandum to put the university authorities at stake as per order of Rajshahi city Awami League.
However, students and teachers of different departments and Progressive Teachers Association separately held a human chain and brought out a procession, protesting the assault to the VC and demanding punishment of the AL leaders.
Speakers condemned the assault on the VC and demanded punishment of the responsible AL leaders.
They also urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take action against the ruling party leaders for their misdeeds and cancel the parliament membership of the Rajshahi 1 lawmaker Omar Faruk Chowdhruy.
On Thursday, a group of local leaders led by the ruling party’s Rajshahi city unit General Secretary Dablu Sarker and Vice-President Shahadat Hossain barged into the office of RU VC Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin. Then they reportedly demanded the recruitment of their preferred candidates as employees and officers in different posts of the university.
However, when the VC said the recruitment process would take place as per the university rules, then ruling party men started hurling abusive words at the VC.
During the incident, the leaders also physically assaulted science faculty Dean Prof Habibur Rahman and RU Students’ Adviser Prof Sadequl Arefin Matin, while the teachers came forward to calm down them.
On Wednesday, Rajshahi 1 lawmaker Omar Faruk Chowdhury allegedly assaulted VC verbally and threatened to oust VC Mizanuddin over the university’s fine of Tk25 lakh to one of its affiliated institutions, Shah Makhdum Medical College, for alleged irregularities in the admission process. MP Faruk is the governing body chairman of the institution.
