Rabiul Islam Robi from RU :The Rajshahi University (RU) campus has turned into a protest ground as teachers and students of the university demanded arrest of Awami League lawmaker Omar Faruque Chowdhury and the party’s city General Secretary Dablu Sarker for threatening and assaulting Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin.They also demanded exemplary punishment to the two ruling party leaders along with their aides for committing such heinous acts.Progressive Students’ Alliance, a platform of four left leaning students’ body held a protest procession and marching through the campus it joined a rally held at Tukitaki Chattar at 12:00 noon on Saturday.Over 200 hundred students joined the rally while some teachers of the university also addressed the rally expressing their solidarity demanding immediate arrest of AL MP Omar Faruque Chowdhury and other leaders.On Wednesday, MP Omar Faruque Chowdhury stormed into the office of VC Muhammad Mizanuddin, shouted and threatened to get the latter sacked, allegedly after being denied an early audience. A day later, AL city leader Dablu Sarker, accompanied by some 30 aides, entered the VC’s office and assaulted him and score of other senior professor demanding appointment of people of their choice in the university administration.Addressing the rally, Kazi Mamun Haider alias Rana, Assistant Professor of Mass Communication and Journalism Department said, when the independence of the university is at stake, the university itself becomes destroyed.Terming the incident as shameful for the university, he urged the teachers and students to protest strongly.Golam Sarwar Sujon, Assistant Professor of History Department also demanded immediate punishment of the AL MP and other leaders after investigating the matter.Faruk Emon, President of Chhatra Federation, RU unit said, being an autonomous institution, assaulting and threatening the VC of a university by outsiders is totally unacceptable. “We could not bear the terrorists on the campus,” he said, adding whoever supports terrorists, he would also be deserted from campus.He demanded immediate arrest of AL MP and the party’s city GS and his aides for stretching their hands to the sovereignty of the university.Dilip Roy, General Secretary of Biplobi Chhatra Moitri, RU unit, addressing at rally, said it is the humiliation of 30 thousands teachers and students as the VC represents the university. “We could not give opportunity to a political party to make the university party’s asset by interfering here,” he said. He also demands immediate arrest of the humiliators at any cost.Talking to The New Nation, Mubarak Hossain, a 3rd year student of Law Department said, as a student, I feel ashamed by such incident in an autonomous institution.”AL MP and other leaders who assaulted the VC should be punished to protect the independence of the university,” he added. Professor Harun-ur Rashid, President of the Council of Rajshahi University, in a press release also protested the incident. The council also admired the running administration for their honesty and efficiency.Condemning the incident, RU Provost Council also urged the teachers and students to act unitedly for upholding the independence of the university.Besides, RU deans’ committee, RU Kendrio Sangskritik Jote protested the incident and demanded arrest and exemplary punishment of AL MP and Party’s city GS Dablu who assaulted the VC.On the other hand, leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) yesterday submitted a memorandum to the VC for pressing home their seven point demands.Their demands include not establishing police station on campus, release of arrested progressive leaders and withdrawal of cases against them.
