CU Fine Arts students let teachers go after 9 hours' confinement

At least twelve teachers of Chittagong University were released early today after being confined by agitating students for nine hours inside the Institute of Fine Arts.

Students of CU's fine arts institute have been protesting since November 16 demanding relocation of their campus to the Chittagong University main campus along with over 20 other demands. 

The 12 teachers went to the institute around 4:30pm yesterday saying they needed to fetch documents regarding the transfer of the institute to CU main campus, the agitating students said, adding that this is why they let the teachers enter the premises.

"We let the teachers enter the premises at the condition that they would only fetch documents for the transfer of the institute to CU main campus," said Md Shaheen, master's student of the institute. But the teachers tried to take personal documents from their offices, that's why the protesters confined them inside, he claimed.

Later, students let the teachers go around 2:00am without their personal documents, reports the correspondent. 

Assistant Proctor of CU Muhammad Yaqub said the teachers went to the institute in order to fetch documents required for the institute's transfer to main campus. "However, some of the teachers took their tax return documents which were in the office. The way students behaved with them is regrettable," the assistant proctor added.

The teachers are Pranab Mitra Chowdhury, director of the Institute of Fine Arts; the institute's teachers Zahed Ali Chowdhury, Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Sufia Begum, Uttam Kumar Barua, Nityananda Gain. Sharad Das, Umme Tania, Kajal Deb Nath, Muhammad Obaidul Kabir, Hlu Bai Shu Chowdhury, Assistant Proctor of CU Muhammad Yaqub and Deputy Controller of Examinations MA Sakur, reports Prothom Alo. 

Students of CU Institute of Fine Arts (CU) have been staging a sit-in by padlocking the main entrance of their institution pressing authorities to meet their 22-point demand since November 16.

As part of their protest, students today blocked the city's Badsha Mia road around 12pm, reports our staff correspondent.

Besides shifting the institute to the main campus of CU, their demands include introduction of students' buses; opening a canteen; arrangement of safe drinking water; proper arrangement of basins; construction of adequate washrooms; facility of art materials; clean-up system; library reformation etc.