Buet students cancel today’s sit-in; BCL holding counter programme at Shaheed Minar
Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) cancelled today's scheduled demonstration against Thursday's gathering of Chhatra League activists on campus, where political activities are not allowed.
They were supposed to hold a sit-in programme from 7:00am on the premises of Shaheed Minar of Buet campus.
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The students did not offer a reason for the cancellation, but said they would hold a press conference on the issue in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, BCL started its protest programme from 11:45am at the Central Shaheed Minar, which is close to Buet.
The central Chhatra League organised the counter programme demanding lifting of the ban on student politics on Buet campus.
Sources at Chhatra League said that the loudspeakers were set facing the Buet campus so that the university students could hear the speech of BCL leaders.
While visiting the area, our correspondent found that Chhatra League set up loudspeakers on the side of the road from Central Shaheed Minar to Palashi – all facing Buet campus.
BCL leaders were addressing the programme when the report was filed around noon.
But there was no presence of the protesting students on the campus till that time.
They have not informed media of the reason for cancelling their pre-announced programme.
Around 10:30am, the protesters told The Daily Star that they would not be holding a pre-announced programme and they will brief media about it this afternoon.
However, they said they would continue their protest , including boycotting classes and exams.
The students have been demanding expulsion of several students, including Imtiaz Hossain Rahim, a central committee member of the pro-Awami League student body, for what they said were their open political activities on campus.
They also demanded removal of Prof Mizanur Rahman from the post of director of the Directorate of Students' Welfare for his failure to enforce the rules.
The university on Friday cancelled the residency of Imtiaz, a student of civil engineering department, at a dormitory. It also formed a six-member committee to investigate the allegations and asked it to submit a report by April 8.
Student politics was banned on the campus after the murder of a second-year student named Abrar Fahad by members of Bangladesh Chhatra League at the university's Sher-e-Bangla Hall on October 7, 2019.
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