Applied physics students protest move

Students of applied physics and electronic engineering (APEE) of Rajshahi University yesterday protested the planned launch of the electrical and electronic engineering (EEE) department, saying the two disciplines had the same curriculum.

More than 200 students brought out a protest procession around 1:00pm demanding cancellation of the decision, taken at an academic council meeting recently.

Two disciplines cannot be run with the same syllabus, said Omar Faruk, a protester.

Another said, "Either the authorities have to cancel the decision of opening the EEE department or change the name of our department into EEE."

They also threatened tougher agitation.

Prof Abu Bakar Md Ismael, dean of the engineering faculty, however, said there were some similarities in the curricula but they would not create any difficulty for students.

Moreover, changing the name of the APEE department will create complexities because the discipline is old and has a different significance, he told The Daily Star.