The Bangladesh Democratic Student Council (BDSC) has demanded the resignation of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) Vice-Chancellor within the next 24 hours.
They accused the university administration and the VC of supporting the alleged attack on Kuet students on 18th February.
They made this demand during a press conference held at 2pm on Tuesday in front of Madhur Canteen at the University of Dhaka.
Tahmid Al Mudassir Chowdhury, the chief organizer of BDSC, said that the current vice-chancellor of Kuet is pro-BNP, and was previously the president of Chhatra Dal.
"Under his leadership, a new form of terrorism is being established on campuses, and a vice-chancellor is directly supporting this terrorism."
Citing the reference of the Kuet VC and the administration's inactive role during the clash on February 18, he said: "Through this, it has become very clear to us whose agenda he is trying to implement."
He pointed to "same patterns" being followed as Chhatra League attacking students and then filing cases on them, and administration halting academic activities, even when the students want it to resume.
"When students want their academic activities to continue normally, the university administration is completely implementing the agenda of Chhatra Dal and BNP."
BDSC also demanded a fully impartial investigation to be conducted into the Kuet clash, cases, and student expulsions, to identify and punish those responsible.
The demands include that the cases filed against students and expulsion orders should be withdrawn within the next 24 hours, and all halls at Kuet must be reopened within the next 48 hours. Along with those, Mahin Ahmed's attacker to be arrested immediately.
Zahid Ahsan, central member secretary of the BDSC, read out their written statement and presented their demands. They warned that if the above demands are not met within the specified time, they will announce a more strict protest program.
According to their written statement, although partisan student politics is banned at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, the incident stemmed from Chhatra Dal's forceful political activities.
"Despite the ban on partisan student politics, Chhatra Dal continues to operate under the patronage of Kuet Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Mashud, and no action was taken by the VC during the joint attack by Chhatra Dal-Jubo Dal-BNP. More than fifty students were injured in that attack," read their written statement.
They further said that, amid the terrifying situation at Kuet, BNP and Jubo Dal leaders and activists brutally attacked Mahin Ahmed, a central member of the Bangladesh Democratic Students' Council, in Mirpur last night. Multiple members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement were allegedly injured in the attack.
