A group of students and teachers of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have reiterated their demand for the removal of its Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Farzana Islam.
They have long been demanding the removal of the VC, saying there is no other way to ensure an education-friendly environment on the campus.
The protesters made this remark, along with their fresh three-point demand, at the rally held in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Saturday.
The demands are the removal of VC Farzana Islam and proper trial for the perpetrators who carried out the November 5 attacks; cancellation of the decision of vacating the halls; and proper investigation into graft allegations, and public disclosure of findings of the probe report.
The protesters said they will continue the demonstrations until Prof Dr Farzana steps down as VC, due to her alleged involvement in corruption.
Addressing the rally, Economics department professor Anu Muhammad said the VC and the government are responsible for putting the students’ future into uncertainty as the university was closed for an indefinite period.
“The university has been shut down to suppress the protest,” he said.
Blaming that the VC is responsible for everything, he said the present situation was created as she instructed the attack on students.
The professor also said the government should probe into the allegation of corruption and take action as per the findings of the probe report.
Anu Muhammad said the president and general secretary of Chhatra League were removed from their respective posts because of corruption, but the VC remained in her post despite the same allegation being raised against her.
Teachers and students of JU protesting against the corruption of the university's current VC in front of the National Museum in Dhaka on Saturday, November 23, 2019 | Mahmud Hossain Opu/Dhaka Tribune
Professor Jamal Uddin of the Environmental Sciences department said the VC has lost her moral right to be in the post, and they would continue their protest to free the university from maladministration.
Zonayed Saki, chief coordinator of Gonosonghoti Andolon, said vice-chancellors of different universities are abusing the power they were given.
Why are the JU students protesting?
Since August 23, a number of students and teachers of Jahangirnagar University have been demonstrating on the campus under the banner of “Jahangirnagar against Corruption,” demanding the removal of the VC for her alleged involvement in misappropriation of around Tk1.6 crore from a Tk1,445-crore development project, in collusion with Chhatra League leaders.
Students and teachers protested against the corruption by the authorities and unplanned development works by endangering the biodiversity of Jahangir University, which is renowned for its acres of forestry.
They had also demanded a judicial probe into the allegations of corruption by JU authorities, and irregularities centering around the development project.
Protesters had called for a strike on campus on October 2, but later withdrew it to hold a meeting with the VC. However, no solution came from that meeting and the protests continued.
After the protests started in August, allegations also surfaced against the then president and secretary of Chhatra League central committee that they had demanded: “fair share” from that development project.
Allegations also surfaced that the VC gave money to JU unit Chhatra League leaders, and some of them also admitted that they had received Tk1 crore from her as Eid gift.
In reaction, students and teachers started fresh agitation from September 19, demanding probe into the allegations and removal of the VC.
Though the two leaders of the ruling party student wing were removed by the Awami League top brass, one of them leveled corruption allegations against VC Farzana, which she immediately rejected.
Following the protest, on November 5, the university was shut down for an indefinite period after 25 people were injured in an attack on the protesters, allegedly by members of the Chhatra League JU unit.
