A faction of teachers of Jahangirnagar University on Saturday declared the university administration’s top brass, including its vice-chancellor unwanted on the campus, allegedly for ‘giving order’ for police action against protesting students.
The teachers under the banner of ‘Teacher Community Against Oppression’ announced the decision at a press conference at the teachers’ lounge in the university’s new arts building at about 3:30pm on the day.
In a written statement, the section said, ‘Armed people attacked the students at the instigation of the VC, proctor and other officials of the administration during a peaceful demonstration in front of the VC’s residence on July 15.’
High officials of the university including VC Nurul Alam, pro-vice-chancellors Sheikh Manzurul Huq and Mostafa Feeroz, treasurer Rasheda Akhter, and registrar Abu Hasan were declared unwanted, according to the statement.
The teachers also blamed the incumbent JU administration for ‘brutal’ police action against students, when they tried to save their fellows from an attack of ‘attackers’.
‘The students sought refuge in fear of their lives, but the vice-chancellor did not open his residence doors. He ruthlessly handed over the students to the attackers,’ they alleged.
Professor Mafruhi Satter of the JU pharmacy department said, ‘The UNO and assistant superintendent of police informed them that the VC and the proctor had requested them to vacate the administration building during a blockade on July 17 by applying force.’
‘The administrators whose hands are stained with blood of students have lost their moral basis to remain in their posts,’ he added.
They made a four-point demand, including declaring July 15 as Jahangirnagar University’s day of mourning and launching a neutral probe committee to investigate the alleged attack on JU students with locally made sharp weapons on July 15.
Later, the teachers and the protesting students’ platform ‘Students Movement Against Discrimination’ gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to reopen halls of residence of all universities.
‘If the halls are not be reopened by 24 hours, students will take measures for the sake of their own safety,’ a coordinator of the JU unit of Students Movement Against Discrimination Abdur Rasid Jitu said.
