Agitations bring Ctg vet university to standstill
Chhatra League activists bring out a procession on the campus of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University yesterday while officials and staff of the institution stage a sit-in during their work abstention protesting alleged assault of two officials by agitating students.Photo: STAR
Academic and administrative activities at Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) came to a halt yesterday, a day after reopening the university, as the officers' association and employees' union observed work abstention while Chhatra League (BCL) continued their agitation. The officers' association started their two-hour work abstention programme from 10.00am and staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building protesting alleged manhandling of Research and Training Institute staff Chamak Chandra and administrative officer Ajit Kumar on Saturday and Thursday by the agitators. The employees union of the university also expressed solidarity with the association and participated in the work abstention demanding security of the officers and employees on the university campus. The BCL men brought out a procession on the campus at around 11.00am and held a rally to press home their demand for removal of the VC. On the other hand, the university teachers' association yesterday gave a seven-day ultimatum to the university authorities demanding punishment to the agitating students who allegedly manhandled teachers, misbehaved with them and gave threat over phone. The decision was taken at a meeting of the teachers' association held at the university conference room in the afternoon with convenor Prof Goutam Buddha Das in the chair. Prof Goutam told this correspondent that the agitating students are often and again insulting the teachers over phone and physically. “If the students are not punished within seven days we will stop taking classes and examinations,” he warned. “In the meeting, we expressed solidarity with the protest programme by the officers' association and employees' union and will join them tomorrow by abstaining from work from 10.00am to 12.00noon,” he said. We would also send a memorandum to the prime minister informing her all about the university situation soon, he added. Meanwhile, as a consequence to the situation, session jam is feared to hamper study of around 400 students of the university while around 50 students will not be able to take part in the upcoming BCS examination. The admission test for the session 2009-2010 will also remain pending causing fresh session jam, sources said. Contacted, vice chancellor Dr Nitish Chandra Devnath said he was still confined to his residence. Seeking help from the government he said: “I was appointed by the government for four years and only six months of my term are left. I have done nothing beyond the rules. If the government wants I will leave the post,” he said. The authorities closed the university sine die on December 14 last year following an indefinite strike enforced by General Students Forum and BCL demanding resignation of the VC on charge of corruption and nepotism. The authorities in an emergency syndicate meeting on Wednesday last decided to reopen the halls on Saturday to resume classes on Sunday. But the BCL leaders staying in the hall defying syndicate orders demanded removal of the VC and decided to bar him from all administrative activities. They put the VC office under lock and key confining him (VC) to the residence.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments