The provosts of all the residential halls of Rajshahi University warned that they would resign in a body if no tangible action was taken against those Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders and activists, involved in beating students and the halls’ staff members, ousting residential students from their allotted seats, vandalism at halls, threatening and misbehaving with the hall provosts.
They came up with the warning in an emergency meeting with the university administration on Tuesday.
RU pro-vice-chancellor professor Sultan Ul Islam, pro-vice-chancellor M Humayun Kabir, acting registrar professor Tariqul Hasan, student adviser professor Jahangir Alam Saud, and proctor professor Asabul Haque, among others, were present at the meeting.
Following the meeting, several hall provosts told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they informed the university administration that they were fed up with the disorderly behaviour of the BCL people and could not carry out their duties and responsibilities properly.
They said that they had also warned that they would resign together if no tangible action was taken against the accused BCL activists this time.
Professor Mahbubur Rahman, convener of the RU provost council, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had informed the university administration about their problems they were facing in carrying out their duties and responsibilities.
‘The university administration has taken notes of our problems and assured us that they will take action after talking with the university vice-chancellor,’ he said.
Professor Mahbubur, also provost of Nawab Abdul Latif Hall, said that BCL men also vandalised the hall’s dining and guest rooms on Monday after he had denied them giving jerseys allocated for the players.
‘We feel helpless and are suffering from insecurity. Now let’s see what the administration does? If they can’t do anything, we will take a decision in the interest of our security,’ he added.
Contacted, pro-vice-chancellor professor M Humayun Kabir told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they had heard the complaints of the hall provosts but could not take necessary actions as the vice-chancellor was not present in the meeting.
‘We will discuss these issues at different levels, and then we will make a decision,’ he added.
On Sunday, a group of BCL leaders and activists led by RU BCL organising secretary Imran Hossain, Nawab Abdul Latif Hall unit vice-president Tawfiq Al Tawhid and organising secretary Masudur Rahman kept the main entrance of Nawab Abdul Latif Hall under key and lock for two and a half hours from 1:00pm to 3:30pm and vandalised the hall’s dining and guest rooms.
The BCL men also attempted to remove the provost’s name plaque in front of the latter room’s and misbehaved with the hall provost professor Mahbubur Rahman who, on information, rushed to the hall to bring the situation under control.
Mahbubur Rahman said that the following Monday’s incident, they sat in an emergency meeting of the provost council and decided to expel and take legal action against the BCL men involved in vandalising the hall.
The decision was also conveyed to the administration, he added.
Earlier on May 16, Sobuj Bishwas, a 2022-23 academic session’s student of the Bangla department, left the university campus in fear after a group of BCL activists had beaten him with a cricket bat and stumps at Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall.
A day before May 15, BCL men also beat up three students at the fine arts faculty for allegedly asking them not to take drugs on the campus.
On the same day, BCL activists also threw out the bedding of a residential student on the floor and seated another non-residential student there at Madar Bux Hall at midnight.
On May 12, BCL two factions’ clashed at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall, leaving at least nine activists injured.
On May 7, BCL leaders also tortured two students, including a leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, at Madar Bux Hall of the university.