Deadlock at Bhasani University Continues
Students on fast unto death
The students of food technology and nutritional science department of Maolana Bhasani University of Science and Technology start fast unto death on the premises of the Central Shaheed Minar in Tangail town yesterday to press for their five-point demand including renaming of their degree as BSc (engineering) instead of BSc (honours).Photo: STAR
The agitating students of food technology and nutritional science (FTNS) department of Maolana Bhasani University of Science and Technology (MBUST) yesterday started fast unto death on Tangail Shaheed Minar premises to realise their five-point demands including BSc (Engineering) degree instead of BSc (Honours) degree. The four other demands are resignation of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor, registrar and proctor, removal of the teachers of FTNS department, withdrawal of 'false' cases filed by the university authorities against 195 students of the department, and withdrawal of suspension order on 45 students. Over 200 students of FTNS department have been boycotting classes and examinations for the last eight months (since July 12 last year) demanding BSc (Engineering) degree instead of BSc (Honours) degree. Earlier on March 13, the University authorities declared all the activities of FTNS department including its classes and examinations closed for an indefinite period. They also declared all students of the department 'unwanted' on the campus and directed them to leave the dormitories. On March 14, the students of the department observed a token hunger strike on the Shaheed Minar premises and gave an ultimatum to the university authorities to meet their demands by March 19. The students said their demand for renaming the degree is logical as different universities at home and abroad are providing engineering degree to their food technology students. “We are demanding resignation of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, registrar and proctor as they have filed false cases against 195 students and suspended 45 others of the department to foil our movement,” said some students of FTNS department. Rokeya Begum, chairman of FTNS department, told this correspondent on March 16 that the University Grants Commission (UGC), following a meeting of experts, has already declared that the students cannot be provided engineering degree as per their existing syllabus, but the emotional students did not agree to accept it.
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