Sust students call off movement; VC apologises

Vice Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed. Photo: collected

Following the assurance of the education minister, protesting students of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology suspended their oust-VC movement yesterday.

Their spokesperson Mohaiminul Bashar Raj informed the media about their decision around 8:00pm yesterday.

He made the declaration after a meeting with the protesting students on the campus.

"We are suspending the movement believing in the assurance given by the minister and deputy minister of the education ministry. And we will be waiting for our demands to be met as per the assurance," he said.

He also urged the students to resume classes and sit for exams which had been suspended on January 16 night.

Meanwhile, Sust Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed officially apologised yesterday for the incidents that took place on campus on January 16.

In a statement, he said, "I express my sincere sympathy and condolences to all those who have been injured in the unfortunate incident at our beloved university, including teachers, students, and staffers.

"As the supreme guardian of the university, I am deeply sorry for the untoward incidents. I would like to express my gratitude to the faculties, students, officials and staffers of the university who have been working tirelessly to overcome the stalemate situation caused by the incident."

The statement came a day after Education Minister Dipu Moni advised the VC to apologise.

Contacted, the vice-chancellor told The Daily Star that he apologised during a television interview on January 18, but this was his first written apology.

He, however, refused to comment on the demand for his resignation, students' protest and credibility of such movement against him.

On January 16, police charged truncheons, shot rubber bullets and blasted sound grenades on campus to disperse protesting students who confined the VC inside an academic building.

At least 40 students, several teachers and policemen were injured.

Students started a movement demanding the resignation of the VC after the police action that day.