Bangladesh News

Academic and administrative activities of Chittagong University (CU) came to a standstill yesterday as activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) CU unit padlocked the main gate including all faculty buildings.

BCL activists also laid a siege to the Vice Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr M Badiul Alam’s residence and demanded his resignation.

Agitating BCL men vandalised windowpanes of proctor office and some chairs of the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) in the morning.

CU BCL General Secretary Mohammad Ershad Ullah said the VC appointed during the tenure of the past BNP-led four-party alliance government was patronising the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of the anti-liberation force Bangladesh Jammat-e-Islami.

Earlier, the BCL activists issued a 48-hour ultimatum for the resignation of the vice chancellor at a rally at the station premises at 12.00 noon.

His (VC) bias attitude towards the Shibir is hindering the smooth coexistence between different student organizations on the campus, he said adding, “Our movement will continue till the resignation of the VC”.

Sources said the Shibir barred two BCL activists Ansari and Murad – from boarding at the Hasan Cottage, a rented house in front of Shah Amanat Hall yesterday.

The Shibir men assaulted them and put the cottage under lock and key, sources said.

Earlier, in the morning, the BCL men brought out a procession protesting the incident and locked all the faculties resulting in an abrupt halt to the academic and administrative activities.

They also confined CU Registrar Mohammad Jahirul Islam to his office for around three hours. Later, police rescued him.

When contacted Assistant Proctor Manjur Morshed told The Daily Star that some senior teachers were talking to the VC at his residence to hammer out a solution.

“We are also trying to bring the situation under control,” Manjur said.

Later, BCL activists laid a siege to the VC’s residence at Paharika residential area at 1 pm.

CU BCL General Secretary Mohammad Ershad Hossain said the siege would continue till 12.00 noon on Monday as per their 48-hour ultimatum.

“On expiry of the ultimatum we would take decision regarding the next course of action,” Ershad added.

When contacted CU VC Professor Dr M Badiul Alam said he would not resign until the government orders him to do so.

“I was appointed by the government through a process and I will perform my duty until the government relieves me in the systematic way,” Professor Badiul said.

Terming the yesterday’s deadlock as an artificial one the VC said nothing had happened so that the situation could come to such a stage.

He urged all to be quiet and help to maintain congenial academic atmosphere on the university campus.