United News of Bangladesh

The protesting students of Barishal University (BU) locked all administrative offices on Tuesday demanding the immediate removal of Vice Chancellor Dr. Sucharita Sharmin. The protesters put the administrative offices under lock and key following a half-hour demonstration on the ground floor of the university. They warned that they would  paralyse the entire southern region of the country if their demand is not met immediately. The protest that began 15 days back intensified on Sunday when students consolidated their demands into a single call for the VC's removal. Students accused the VC of favouring authoritarian faculty members, failing to implement 22-point demand submitted six months ago and filing cases against protesters while sparing others involved in previous violent incidents. "Despite submitting our demands six months ago, none have been implemented," said Shahidul Islam, a protesting student. “The administration didn’t even file a case against Shahriar Shan, one of the perpetrators during the July movement, but instead filed cases against students protesting for legitimate reasons,” he said. KU authorities decide to expel student who attacked teacher; committee formed Abdur Rahman, another student, said, “Our classmate Zebunnesa Haque Jimmy, who had cancer, died without treatment after the VC ignored her appeal for support. Months passed, but her application sat unsigned in the office. We don't want such an inhumane VC.” Another student Ashik Ahmed said the corrupt and incompetent VC has lost the moral right to remain in office.  

Students of Barishal University staged a protest on Tuesday, demanding the implementation of their 22-point, accusing the administration of authoritarianism and condemning attempts to rehabilitate pro-Awami League activists on campus. The protest, held in front of the university’s main gate around 1:30 pm, disrupted traffic on the Barishal-Kuakata highway for over an hour. During the demonstration, students criticised the administration for failing to allocate adequate budget for classroom and residential hall facilities, filing false charges against students, and failing to hold Chhatra League activists accountable for violent incidents. Student leaders Sujoy Shuvo, Mosharraf Hossain, and Shahidul Islam Shahed, among others, spoke at the demonstration. Protest March: Demand for fair share of Teesta water gets louder They said that the environment is being disrupted due to the authoritarian attitude of the administration. In addition, there is an attempt to rehabilitate "Awami fascists." On the other hand, instead of prosecuting the leaders and activists of the terrorist Chhatra League, the administration has filed terrorism cases against the protesting students, they added. The speakers demanded the immediate withdrawal of the cases and urged the administration to take effective measures to meet their demands. They warned that students would continue their united movement until their demands are met.

A first year student of Barishal University (BU) was found dead in her room at a mess on Wednesday night. The deceased was identified as Ribna Shahrin, first-year student of Botany Department and resident of Molla Chhatri Nibas (Rokeya hall), near the university. She hailed from Pirojpur district and used to live alone. BU Proctor Dr Md Khorshed Alam, said the girl had a conversation with her family members and friends on July 16 and since then they failed to reach her over the phone. Police recover man’s body from a field in Kushtia At 11 pm on Wednesday, the panicked mother and uncle of the girl rushed to the mess and found the door of the room closed from inside. Getting no response from inside the room after a long time, they broke into the door and found Ribna’s body hanging from the ceiling fan. Body of missing fisherman recovered after 38 hours in Kishoreganj AR Mukul, officer-in-charge of Barishal Metropolitan Police, said, “Primarily it is suspected that the student might have committed suicide but the actual reason could be known after autopsy.” Body of a man found near CUET gate

Four leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were arrested on Wednesday over attacking two other leaders at a dormitory of Barishal University. The arrestees are- Alim Salehi, Riaj Uddin Molla, Shamim Shikdar and Shiekh Refat Mahmud, students of the university. Barisal Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Ali Ashraf Bhuiyan said they arrested them after conducting drives at different places in Barishal in early hour of today. Read more: 2 BCL leaders injured in attack by helmet-wearing miscreants at Barishal University dormitory “We are interrogating the arrestees,” he said adding, efforts are on to arrest the others who were involved in the attack. Provost Abu Zafar of Sher-e-Bangla Hall said a group of 10-15 miscreants, wearing helmets, swooped on BCL leader Mohiuddin Ahmed Sifat while he was asleep and stabbed him in the dead of night on Tuesday. Later, they also entered the room of Fahad and stabbed him indiscriminately. Hands of Fahad were broken. Before the attack, the miscreants put the rooms of other students under lock and key from outside. They were taken to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital Tuesday morning. Read more: Barishal University student succumbs to injuries suffered in road crash Some students alleged that Sifat established reign of terror in the area and he had many rivals for these activities. Those who have been arrested are organizing members of university unit BCL. All the victims and accused in the attack are followers of Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.

Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Kuakata highway remained suspended for an hour on Saturday as the students of Barishal University staged demonstrations blocking the highway protesting assault on one of their fellows by a transport worker, police said. Witnesses said when Foysal Shahriar, a Masters final year student of the university, tried to board a bus for going to Dapdapia Zero point around 9 am in front of the university some staff of the bus misbehaved with him. At one stage of heated argument, the bus staff physically assaulted him. As soon as the news spread, the students of the university took to Dhaka-Kuakata highway and put up barricade on the road, halting vehicular movement for an hour. READ: Barishal University student gets job at Google Vehicular movement returned to normalcy after an hour as the students left the highway upon assurance from the law enforcement agencies that they will take steps to settle the issue. General Secretary of Barishal Rupatoli Bus and Minibus Owners Association Kawsar Hossain Shipon said those who assaulted the students were not bus staff. Proctor Dr Md Khorshed Alam said a meeting will be held between police and the bus owners association over the issue. Md Asaduzzaman, Officer-in-Charge of Barishal Port Police Station, said police are trying to resolve the problem.

A student of Barishal University (BU) has placed a written complaint against a teacher alleging physical assault and humiliation. ABM Mushfiqur Rahman, a 2018-19 session student of the Finance and Banking Department of the university, made the allegation against Suprabhat Haldar, an assistant professor of Law department. According to his complaint to the Vice-Chancelor (VC), Mushfiqur had failed to hear Haldar call him during a very busy time at the campus, when it was very noisy outside classes.     However Suprabhat got angry, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to his office room. Mushfiqur said that the teacher there tore his shirt, physically and verbally assaulted him as well as threatened to ruin his academic career. University proctor Dr. Khorshed Alam noticed the incident and brought the student out of the teacher's room. Read: Amodini Pal punished students for not wearing uniform, not over hijab: Probe report Proctor Khorshed said that during a law department class at noon, that Suprobhat was taking, some students were being noisy outside and Mushfiqur was one of them.   The assistant professor was calling out to Mushfiqur to ask for quiet, but him not responding led to a misunderstanding that escalated. The matter was settled eventually through a discussion facilitated by the proctor, or so he thought.  Talking to UNB, Khorshed was surprised that the student went ahead and lodged a written complaint to the VC. "I don't know," the proctor said, when asked why Mushfiqur would lodge the complaint if the matter was settled.  Suprabhat Haldar could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.  

A Union Parishad member was arrested Sunday in a case filed over  harassing and torturing a Barishal University student and her husband. Ward-6 member of Charkaua Union Parishad Saidul Alam Liton was arrested from Islampara road in Sagardi area of the Barishal city around 5 pm by Rapid Action Battalion-8 (Rab), said Major Jahangir Alam, Company Commander of Rab-8. The accused will be handed over to police, he said. Earlier on Wednesday night, the main accused in the case Zahid Hasan Joy was arrested by police from Madaripur. On the night of January 11, a case was filed at Bandar police station followed by a complaint lodged by the female student's husband accusing Zahid Hasan Joy, Makun Molla, Saidul Alam Liton and some two or three more anonymous people. According to the complaint, earlier that evening the student of the varsity’s Management department and her husband went to visit the campus when the accused held them and beat them up. In protest against the incident the next day, students of BU vandalized Sheikh Russel Library, UP ward member Liton and Joy’s house. They took position on Barishal-Kuakata Highway obstructing vehicle movement which they later removed after the administration assured them of taking actions. Meanwhile on Thursday, Liton’s wife Lutfor Nahar Kajal filed a case against 40 people including the victim’s husband at Barishal Metropolitan Judicial Magistrate’s court.

Barishal University has waived the hall and transportation fees of its students for the period of the Covid-19 closure. The decision on the fee waiver was taken at a meeting of the university’s finance committee chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Sadequl Arefin . University Proctor Dr Khorshed Alam said on Tuesday the decision was taken following written requests made by the students. Read: Barishal University: 82, inc. 40 teachers, earn promotions According to the decision, the authorities will coordinate with or repay the students who have already paid the fees soon, said the Proctor Obaidur Rahman, a student of BU, said on August 31 they sent a written application to the VC through Proctor Khorshed Alam to waive the fees.

Barishal University witnessed a record number of promotions this week, of both academic and non-academic staff and officials. The university registrar's office issued promotion letters to 40 teachers, 15 officials, 27 staff over Monday and Tuesday. Although the bloated number has drawn attention to their eligibility, the university maintains only eligible personnel had been promoted following a proper process and policy. Read Pros and Cons of Reopening Educational Institutions during Pandemic A university official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration had formed a board to prepare a list of eligible persons for promotion. In fact several people who were also long due for promotions, again failed to make the cut. Some of them even made it as far as an oral exam that was part of the process. Welcoming the university's move, Barisal University Officers Association President Bahauddin Golap said, "The university never saw the promotion of these many teachers, officials and staff at the same time." Bahauddin did however call for some changes in the university's promotions policy. Read JU treasurer to serve as next Pro-VC Barishal University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Md Sadequl Arefin said, "Even before I joined, promotions of many, including teachers and officials, were stuck in a bottleneck. I wanted to solve the problem from the beginning. Although Covid-19 slowed down the process, I continued it following the upgradation policy." About the ones who missed out on the recent promotion, Dr Sadequl said, "They could not be promoted even after attending the viva due to the upgradation policy." In 2020, around 50 teachers were promoted even in the midst of the shutdown due to Covid-19. Two previous VCs were said to have held back on their promotions. Teachers and staff who did not get promoted for a long time started demanding promotion almost as soon as Dr Sadequl joined as VC in November 2019. Read RU students give 24-hr ultimatum for hall reopening

Rajshahi University students staged demonstrations for the 2nd consecutive day on Sunday and give a 24-hour ultimatum to the authorities concerned for reopening of all the dormitories of the university.