Rayhanul Islam Abir :
Students and teachers of different educational institutions, including Dhaka University, formed a human chain at the base of Raju Memorial Sculpture on DU campus on Monday demanding immediate removal of the Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) in Gopalganj.
They also demanded withdrawal of the suspension order of journalist Fatema Tuz Zinia, a Law Department student of the university who was suspended for posting status and comments on Facebook which the authorities claimed ‘tarnished’ the university’s image.
The protesters in the human chain alleged that the university VC, Prof Khandakar Nasir Uddin, is running the university with an autocratic manner.
Terming the VC as ‘Corrupted and autocratic’, DU Prof. Jamal Uddin, convener of Muktijuddho Mancho, said, “Khandakar Nasir has established an autocratic rule for several years in Gopalganj, where the father of our nation lies. If you look at the newspaper, you can see that in the last few months, a lot of complaints have been published against him.”
“How can a university authority suspend or issue show cause notice against its students for posting status and comments on Facebook? The students have the rights to talk and write about such issues,” he added.
Pointing out the VC’s several controversial activities, the protesters gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the UGC and the Education Ministry to launch an investigation and remove him. Otherwise, they threatened to wage a tougher movement.
Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (DUJA) also expressed solidarity with the protesters.
