Brac University protest: 6 students end hunger strike

Six Brac University students among hundreds who were protesting an assault on a lecturer allegedly by the university registrar broke a hunger strike this evening.

“We broke the hunger strike following an assurance of our university teacher Prof Samia Haq to meet our demand,” Noman Parvez, one of the strikers, told The Daily Star around 8:00pm.

The students, who are also protesting an assault on their fellows by security guards during demonstrations on Tuesday, earlier announced that they would boycott their final exams scheduled to start on Sunday.

Protesting students of Brac University announced that they would boycott their final exams scheduled to start on Sunday. Photo: Rafiul Islam

Noman Parvez, Kamrun Nahar Dana, Yeasinur Rahman Rony, Ashik Estiak, Sadia Afrin and Akash Rahman of school of law, school of business and school of mathematics and natural sciences at the university started the hunger strike this morning demanding fair probe into the incident and intervention of University Grants Commission and the Education Ministry to resolve the matter.

There have been no visible actions taken by the university authorities to resolve the issue despite assault on female students during the protest, the protesting students alleged.

Despite suspension of classes, students gathered around the university premises to continue their protest. Photo: Rafiul Islam

The students demanded intervention of government to probe the matter as they do not have faith in the university authorities. 

Despite suspension of classes, the students started gathering around the campus for the fifth consecutive day since the morning.

Amid protest, the authorities suspended all classes for Wednesday and Thursday. The examinations, however, will continue on schedule, BRAC University Vice-chancellor Syed Saad Andaleeb said in a notice issued around 3:00pm yesterday.

Lecturer of the law department Farhaan Uddin Ahmed filed a complaint against Registrar Muhammad Sahool Afzal, Assistant Registrar Md Mahi Uddin and senior officer at the office of co-curricular activities Jabed Rasel over the alleged assault on him on Sunday.

On his Facebook page, Farhaan wrote he had been called to the registrar's office on Sunday and then to the human resources department where he was handed a cheque and documents for immediate termination of his contract with the university.

He refused to accept the cheque and documents. “Since I had submitted an official grievance application against the administration, I refused to accept the documents.” The Grievance Resolution Committee was yet to make its final decision.

Audrika Eshaa Purbasha, a former student of the university, joined the rally expressing her solidarity with the hunger strike.

“The students went on hunger strike as the university authorities did not pay heed to their demands. The authorities would have to take the responsibility if anything happen to them,” Audrika said.