Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Professor Anwar Hossain received a death threat through a text message in his mobile phone on Thursday night.
He received the SMS at 9:21pm from an unknown number that threatened of hurling bombs on him and his wife as he had not left the university yet.
On the other hand, Ajit Kumar Mazumder, president of JUTA (Jahangirnagar University Teacher’s Association) received a SMS yesterday afternoon that threatened to chop him into 24 pieces if he did not withdraw the anti-VC movement within 24-hour, informed Ajit Kumar Mazumder.
Both Prof Anwar Hossain and Ajit Kumar Mazumder said police had been informed to take immediate steps in this regard.
Agitating teachers of Jahangirnagar University have withdrawn their anti-VC movement unconditionally showing respect to the President Abdul Hamid’s request.
General Teachers’ Forum, a platform of JU teachers, which has been carrying movement demanding the Vice Chancellor’s removal, made the formal announcement at a press conference yesterday.
At the conference, the forum declared: “Showing respect to the honourable president, Chancellor’s instructions we are withdrawing the movement unconditionally from now and we hope that university authorities would take necessary initiatives to arrange the VC panel election immediately.”
They declared to resume classes and examinations from today.
They gave an ultimatum to the university authority to hold the VC panel election by Sunday.
On Wednesday, President Abdul Hamid, also chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, asked the agitating teachers to withdraw their indefinite strike unconditionally to resume the institution’s academic activities and restore congenial atmosphere on the campus.
The president also said VC Prof Anwar Hossain would take immediate steps to hold the senate elections and select the VC panel through the senate in line with the university act. The VC was also instructed to withdraw the writ petition filed against the agitating teachers, an education ministry press release said.
Both the VC and the teachers waging the anti-VC movement have been asked to take necessary measures to resume the activities of university’s syndicate and academic council, and start first year’s admission test procedures.
However, the agitating teachers said that they would raise voice again if VC did not take initiatives to hold VC panel elections within Sunday following the chancellor’s directives.
Prof Kamrul Ahsan, the secretary of General Teachers’ Forum said: “If VC Prof Anwar Hossain does not take effective initiatives according to the directives, teachers would force him to implement those directives from Sunday.”
General Teachers’ Forum and JUTA (Jahangirnagar University Teachers’ Association) jointly enforced a shutdown on campus on Saturday demanding the removal of VC Prof Anwar Hossain.
The agitating teachers confined the VC on Monday at his residence as he denied to answer to their query regarding sending a notice to Ajit Kumar Mazumder, president of JUTA, for allegedly violating the university’s rules and regulations.
VC Prof Anwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “I am always ready to follow any command of the president.”
“Necessary steps would be taken according to the directives in discussion with other members of authorities,” he added.
In the meantime, the executive body of JUTA, the other body agitating against VC, arranged a meeting yesterday evening to decide their next course of action following the president’s directives to resume academic activities.
Prof Ajit Kumar Mazumder said: “JUTA has proper respect to the president’s order.”
