All academic and administrative activities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) came to a halt yesterday as four groups staged separate protests on the Savar campus.
The actions of the vice-chancellor, the General Teachers’ Forum, the JU Paribar and Officer’s Club of the university combined to bring the 43-year-old institution to a standstill.
Most of the departments did not take classes because of an indefinite strike called by the General Teachers’ Forum. Agitating teachers took to the streets in front of VC Prof Anwar Hossain’s residence on Tuesday, saying they would not leave until he resigns.
The VC had joined a programme in the capital, but on seeing the demonstration in front of his house on his return at around 10pm on Tuesday, he started a counter sit-in and spent the whole night outside alongside his wife.
The VC told the Dhaka Tribune: “The teachers are demonstrating illegally and immorally in front of my house, whereas they are supposed to remain silent until the completion of the investigation.
“If I am proven guilty, I must resign; otherwise not. The teachers are not concerned about the university and the students; rather they are busy with an irrational movement.”
The VC also asserted that the teachers were violating the High Court’s rule of not to interrupt the university activities, adding that he would not enter his house while a single teacher remained in front of the property.
However, the agitating teachers told the Dhaka Tribune that they did not confine the VC, rather he himself decided to take position there. Prof Kamrul Ahsan, general secretary of the forum, said: “Our work abstention programme will also be continued until Prof Anwar Hossain resigns.”
Separately, the administrative office was almost closed as the Officer’s Club staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building, demanding the release of Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique and Deputy Registrar (teaching) Md Abu Hossain, who had been confined since Monday.
Meanwhile, the left leaning teachers and a section of pro-Awami League teachers and students, officers and others employees of the university formed a human chain and brought out a silent procession under the banner Jahangirnagar University Paribar yesterday, protesting the ongoing unrest at the university.
Additional law enforcers were deployed on the campus to avert any untoward incident, while the general teachers and students expressed their worries regarding the unrest.
