IU Deadlock Drags on
Students again block road
One of the agitating general students of Islamic University lies on the Kushtia-Khulna highway during the road blockade programme yesterday. The students also blocked the road on Sunday, demanding immediate resumption of their classes and examinations.Photo: STAR
The agitating general students of Islamic University (IU) again blocked Kushtia-Khulna highway yesterday, demanding immediate resumption of their classes and examinations. Around 1000 students took out a procession on the campus at around 10:00am and besieged the administrative building for half an hour. They later put up barricades on Kushtia-Khulna highway in front of the university, disrupting traffic for two hours from 11:00am. On Sunday, the general students also blocked the road for one and a half hours from 11:00am to press home their demand. Yesterday, they withdrew the barricades at around 1:00pm after Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sayed Belal Hossain assured them of making an effort to end the deadlock that has been prevailing at the university since September 8. The students sought prime minister's intervention in resolving the crisis and submitted a memorandum to her through the deputy commissioner. Proctor Prof Akhtarul Islam, who also went to the spot to pacify the students, was manhandled by them. Police rescued the proctor and took him to the campus. Academic activities at the university came to halt on September 8 due to a deadlock that followed controversy over recruitment of 132 teachers and officials on the previous day. Islamic University Teachers Association (IUTA) began agitation on September 8 demanding removal of the vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and treasurer for their alleged involvement in irregularities in the recruitment of the teachers and officials. They have been continuing agitation for the last three and a half months to press for their demand. Yesterday, they observed token hunger strike and held a rally in front of the administrative building with IUTA President Prof Yakub Ali in the chair. Around 200 teachers joined the programme. The rally was addressed, among others, by IUTA General Secretary Prof ASM Tariqul Islam, Bangabandhu Parishad IU unit General Secretary Prof Ruhul Kuddus Saleh, Prof Mahbubur Rahman, law faculty dean Prof Shahjahan Mondol, Business faculty dean Prof Mizanur Rahman, Prof Mamunur Rahman, Dr Baqi Billah. The speakers urged the government to break the deadlock by appointing honest and competent persons as new vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and treasurer, removing the present ones.
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