We express deep concern over the ongoing crisis at Sylhet’s Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) as its protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed steps down.
Some 24 students began the ‘hunger strike until death’ in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence on Wednesday as the Vice-Chancellor refused to resign. They also declared the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed persona non-grata on the campus. The protesting students especially those who are on hunger strike have already passed 78 hours under the open sky amid biting cold without having food and water. Meanwhile, at least 16 students have already been hospitalised on Saturday while the condition of the rest nine has already deteriorated further.
It may be mentioned that on Thursday, students of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall launched a protest after Provost Zafrin Ahmed Liza reportedly misbehaved with a student, who called her to report mismanagement at the dormitory.
We hope the high command of the government
will take the issue seriously and intervene
immidietly put an end to the crisis
Students started demanding the VC's resignation after over 30 students were injured, as police entered the campus and used truncheons, rubber bullets and sound grenades on Sunday evening to take the VC, who was confined at the IICT Building in the campus, away. However, on Monday, the protesting students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, demanding the immediate removal of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed. The President is the Chancellor of the university.
Many students have not left the campus yet, staging demonstrations, taking and out processions while 23 have been on hunger strike demanding the Vice-Chancellor's resignation. It has been noticed that the education minister, university teachers and local Awami League leaders continued trying their level best to solve the crisis. But they have failed to convince the students as they have made their stand clear that they would not break the hunger strike until the resignation of the Vice Chancellor.
We are looking forward to seeing the government’s move to solve the crisis and hope it will take a decision immediately in this regard. We hope the high command of the government will take the issue seriously and intervene immidietly to put an end to the crisis.