Six months of SUST Movement: A story of unkept promises
Six months have gone by since the students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) suspended their movement for the removal of the vice chancellor and other demands.
Six months ago, the protesting students were promised by Education Minister Dipu Moni and Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury that all their demands will be fulfilled.
Residential students of the university's Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall started a demonstration on January 13 this year over a few demands, which was later joined by other students on January 16.
On that day, the students confronted their VC, who was confined to MA Wazed Miah IICT Building.
In a mission to rescue the VC, police charged truncheons, and opened rubber bullets and sound grenades on the students, injuring at least 30 of them. After this move by the authorities, the protest took an anti-VC stance, demanding his removal.
On January 19, 24 students started a hunger strike, and later, five more joined in.
The strike was withdrawn after being publicly assured by Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and Prof Yasmeen Haque, both former professors of the university, that "higher ups" in the government promised them that the demands will be fulfilled.
On February 11, Dipu Moni and Mohibul Hasan went to Sylhet and met the protesting students.
On assurance of fulfilling all demands in the quickest possible time and forwarding the demand of VC's removal to the president, the students on February 12 suspended their movement.
However, Vice Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed remains seated in his post even after six months.
Mohaiminul Bashar Raj and Shahriar Abedin, who were among the protesting students, said two cases filed against the protesting students and former students have not been withdrawn.
Some students are also being harassed academically and administratively for participating in the protests.
"I have 80 splinters in my body. With 30 splinters, my right hand is losing its functionality, while two splinters near my lungs are causing breathing difficulties," said Sazal Kundu, a student who was critically injured in the police brutality that took place on the campus on January 16.
Other demands, like Tk 1-crore compensation for Sazal and a government job for him, remain unfulfilled. Meanwhile, Sazal alleged that the university administration took away his only source of income, a canteen on the campus he used to run.
When asked about the situation, Yasmeen Haque said Zafar Iqbal were deeply embarrassed and saddened over the delay in fulfilling the demands.
"He [Zafar Iqbal] is repeatedly contacting with the 'higher ups', who assured us of fulfilling the students' demands. They keep assuring us, but we see no reflection of these assurances in their actions," Yasmeen said.
"The entire country saw these officials making public promises through us. How can they back away from that?" she asked.
However, an official of the University Grants Commission (UGC), seeking anonymity, said the president, also chancellor of the university, has returned the file sent to him regarding the removal of the VC.
Contacted, top officials of the Higher Education Division said they have not been informed of the issue, as they assumed office recently.
"Many demands like withdrawal of the cases and issues of the dormitories have been fulfilled. The removal of the vice chancellor depends on the president's decision. I cannot say anything about that," said UGC Secretary Dr Ferdous Zaman.
Although Ferdous claimed that the cases have been withdrawn, Nazmul Huda Khan, officer-in-charge of Jalalabad Police Station, said the cases are still ongoing and under investigation.
This correspondent could not reach VC Farid Uddin Ahmed over phone despite repeated attempts.