Sust students resume their protests

The students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology have resumed their protest with an open discussion.

The programme took place on the campus's Muktamancha around 7:00pm yesterday, following the end of their hunger strike that began on January 19 demanding the vice chancellor's resignation.

At the discussion, the students expressed their opinions on what kind of institution they wanted Sust to be.

On Wednesday, they withdrew their barricades from the university's main gate, the vice-chancellor's residence and from all academic and administrative buildings.

As the barricades were removed, administrative work also resumed on the campus after 11 days.

On January 19 around 10:20am , 28 Sust students ended their hunger strike after 163 hours following the requests of former professors Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and Yasmeen Haque.

Of the 28, only two remained under treatment at Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College Hospital till yesterday. For other students, their families took responsibility for their treatment at home and in different hospitals.

A spokesperson of the protest said they handed over a five-point demand upon Prof Zafar Iqbal's request on Wednesday.

The demands are removal of Sust VC along with Students Welfare Adviser and the proctorial body; granting bail to the five detained alumni who donated money to the protestors and were sued on Tuesday; initiatives to keep all residential halls open at the moment; the withdrawal of the case that was filed against unidentified students; and to bear all medical expenses of students who were injured in the police attack and of those who were on the hunger strike.

Two of the demands were met as five alumni were granted bail by a Sylhet court on Wednesday evening, all medical expenses due at the hospital were cleared, and the government assured further treatment of injured students.

A spokesperson said, "We keep our faith in our honourable Prof Zafar Iqbal and we believe that all our demands will be met. Till then, our protest will continue."

On January 13, a group of students began demonstrations alleging that their dormitory's provost, Zafrin Ahmed Liza, misbehaved with a student.

On January 16, police fired rubber bullets and hurled sound grenades on the agitating students, triggering a clash that left over 30 students injured.

The students that night started their demonstration demanding the resignation of VC Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed.