On Monday, Barisal University (BU) students blocked the Barisal-Kuakata Highway to press home their demand for the removal of Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Imamul Haque – with a written assurance.
The agitating students, boycotting classes and exams, continued their programs for the 13th day by blocking the highway from 10am to 12:30pm in a downpour, causing long tailbacks on both sides of the highway.
Mentioning the 24-hour ultimatum on Monday, the students warned they would come up with tougher measures if the university authorities did not pay heed to their demand.
“We will not go back to our classes without a written assurance about the removal of the VC,” said Shakil Ahmed, one of the students.
Removal of the VC was finalized at a six-hour long negotiation meeting held on Saturday afternoon.
Hasinur Rahman, registrar of the university said, upon the decision of the negotiation meeting, the university halls and canteen were opened from Saturday night.
In the meeting it was decided that academic activities would be resumed at BU from Sunday and the vice chancellor of the university will go on leave.
However, students later demanded a written assurance, instead of verbal, about removal of the VC and declared on Sunday they would continue with their program.
The deadlock on campus continued and BU employees also failed to join their duties as the students locked gates of the campus and held a protest rally.
On March 27, BU students began demonstrations demanding the VC’s withdrawal, following an “offensive comment” he made at a program on campus, marking the 49th Independence Day.
The VC reportedly referred to the students as “razakarer bachcha [children of Pakistani collaborators].”
The VC then declared the closure of BU sine die, asking students to vacate the halls by the afternoon of March 28, and left Barisal to attend a BU syndicate meeting at its Dhaka office.
On March 29, the VC expressed regret about his comment, which was rejected by the students and they continued their protest programs to press home their demands, including removal of the VC from his post.
