STUDENTS of Rajshahi University on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of the additional tuition fees imposed recently and also urged the authorities concerned to stop the newly introduced evening masters’ courses in the university. A news report published in a national daily on Friday said that the students raised these demands at a day long rally on the campus while refraining from attending classes and abandoning examinations. The protesters besieged the university administrative office to press home their demands. Three handmade cocktails were also exploded in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence during the agitation.
As we see it is a highly disturbing incident paralyzing the academic activities of the varsity. The varsity VC last evening evidently announced the withdrawal of the higher fees but students ignored it saying it was misleading. We believe that the university have reasons to raise the tuition fees and withdrawing it is also within its authority. But we can’t understand why they did not take the students in confidence before taking the decision to raise the fees. It should have been a consensus decision and the failure of the authorities is not easily understood. In case of other demands such as evening masters courses in several departments under the social science faculty or such other innovative courses, we believe students should not put hindrances since the varsity is a place which must be opened to working people in evening courses.
However, the report said students gathered in front of different academic buildings in groups from early mornings on Thursday and started demonstrations locking the gates of those buildings. They came from different halls and private messes and joined the demonstrations. Meanwhile, representatives of the students met the VC but he did not agree to withdraw the additional fees and to some other demands. So, the students have decided to continue the daily rallies on the campus while keeping themselves absent from classrooms and scheduled examinations.
Reports said a tense situation is prevailing on the campus with sporadic explosions of cocktails in front of the VC’s residence at the science building and the Rabindra Arts building which is not desirable in any case. In fact students are holding demonstrations from January 16 to press home their demands and the varsity authorities have had enough time to reach a decision on a consensus basis. We believe that the authorities may agree to reduce the exorbitant rise in tuition fees in exchange for concessions from students by introducing new courses to which they should not have valid objections.
It is obvious higher tuition fees hurt the students. When the varsity can spend a lot of money in other areas of expenditure; why it is agitating students to realize a small part of their deficit budgets is unknown. We believe that the university authorities would soon settle the issue considering the overall interests of the students and maintaining a congenial atmosphere on the campus. We may also suggest that universities should also obtain prior approval of University Grants Commission while changing the students fees.
