SUST
SUST unrest deepens as students disconnect power supply to VC’s residence
The unrest at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) deepened on Sunday evening as its protesting students disconnected electricity supply to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence as he refused to step down as per their demand.
The students said they disconnected the power supply at 7:20 pm leaving the SUST guesthouse, teacher’s dormitory nearby the VC’s residence in the darkness.
On day five of the hunger strike, 15 of the 24 students on hunger strike since Wednesday 3 pm remained admitted to different hospitals in the city.
On Sunday afternoon, four more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike taking their total number to 27. Earlier, one of the 24 students had to leave the strike due to his relative’s sickness.
Also read: SUST stalemate: Students’ virtual meeting with minister brings no solution yet
SUST stalemate: Students’ virtual meeting with minister brings no solution yet
Although there was an hour-long virtual meeting between Education Minister Dipu Moni and protesting students of SUST early Sunday, no solution is in sight yet to break the long standoff on the campus.
After the meeting, the students who are on a hunger strike since Wednesday demanding resignation of Vice Chancellor Fariduddin Ahmed remained stuck to their previous decision not to break the fast until he steps down, representatives of the dissenting students told UNB.
They claimed that no discussion was held at the meeting over the VC’s removal or sending him on leave.
The students said they want to continue the discussion but they will not break the fast. They will brief reporters this afternoon, if everything goes well, they added.
Dipu Moni suggested the students submit their demands in a written form and then she will go for the next step.
READ: SUST unrest: Resolution a Zoom call away?
The virtual meeting was held in presence of a delegation from Awami League, led by its central organising secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel.
Briefing reporters at 2:30 am after the meeting, Shafiul Alam said 23 of the students have already fallen sick and the number will rise further if they continue it.
The minister assured the students of resolving the crisis and requested them to end the hunger strike as she is ready to hear their problems, Alam said.
Shahriar Abedin, Apurbo, Mir Rana, Sabbir, Umar Faruk, Yasir Sarkar, among others, joined the meeting on behalf of the students.
On Saturday, the minister held a meeting with a delegation of teachers from SUST at her residence at 6:05pm when she urged the dissenting students to sit with her for talks to resolve the current standoff.
Earlier in the day, the students brought out a symbolic coffin procession on the campus. Around 8pm, they lit candles at Golchattar as part of their protests.
Meanwhile, 17 of the 24 students – already on hunger strike since Wednesday afternoon – were hospitalised.
READ: 17 students still at hospitals as SUST unrest continues
On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni talked to the students and said she wants a solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
On Monday, the students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of the university, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The students also turned down the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the directive to leave their dormitories.
Currently, the students are staying on the campus.
SUST was supposed to shut down following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on January 16. The students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12pm the next day.
SUST unrest: Resolution a Zoom call away?
There is some guarded hope for a resolution to the crisis at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), after agitating students seemed prepared to sit for discussions with Education Minister Dipu Moni over an online platform like Zoom. This was after the education minister urged the protesting students once again to sit with her for talks to resolve the current standoff, moving away from their hunger strike.
“Students can hold a discussion with us even during the hunger strike if they wish as it is the only way to reach a solution,” the minister said after holding a meeting with a delegation of teachers from SUST at her residence at 6:05pm.
She went on saying, “Due to some family obligations, I’m unable to go to Sylhet at the moment but the door is always open for the students for discussions. A delegation team from the ministry will go to SUST if they want.”
She also said the police action on the students was really unfortunate. “We never expect this type of incident”.
Later, in response to the minister’s call, the students said they want to sit for discussions with her on an online platform. “If she can’t come to Sylhet, we’re ready to have discussions.”
Earlier in the day, the students brought out a symbolic coffin procession on the campus. Around 8pm, they lit candles at Golchattar as part of their protests.
Meanwhile, 17 of the 24 students – already on hunger strike since Wednesday afternoon – were hospitalised.
On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni talked to the students and said she wanted a solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
On Monday, the students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of the university, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The students also turned down the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the directive to leave their dormitories.
Currently, the students are staying on the campus.
SUST was supposed to shut down following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on January 16. The students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12pm the next day.
17 students still at hospitals as SUST unrest continues
Even though the indefinite hunger strike by 24 students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) rolled into day four, there has been no headway in breaking the 10-day standoff.
Campus sources said 17 students have been admitted to different hospitals in the city, including Osmani Medical College and Hospital (OMCH) till Saturday noon as they fell sick due to the hunger strike and shivering cold.
The protesting students vowed to continue their strike until the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The students brought out a symbolic coffin procession on the campus on Saturday afternoon. They started the march from the university's Golchattar area.
Dr Md Mostakim, a physician of OMCH said, 15 doctors have been giving treatment to the students on the campus. “The glucose level of some students has dropped while the blood pressure of some others fell substantially. We’ve given them saline. Those who’re falling seriously ill are being referred to hospitals.”
Read: Exams scrapped, students block busy Dhaka crossing
If they refrain from taking food for a longer time, their physical problems will increase, he added.
Two ambulances were seen at the spot to deal with emergencies.
Dipu Moni’s drive
On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni talked to the students and said she wants a solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
Only VC's removal can solve this crisis, say SUST students
As some among them completed day three of a hunger strike, the protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Friday remained resolute around their sole demand: nothing except the resignation, or otherwise removal of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed can lead to a resolution of the crisis.
It was a day when students got to speak with Education Minister Dipu Moni herself, as she reached out to the agitating students over phone at around 3 pm to try and end the impasse.
During the conversation, Dipu Moni said she wants a peaceful solution to the issue as soon as possible, and was willing to talk to the students 'directly' - i.e. in-person - over the matter, if they so wish.
The protesting students were indeed receptive to the idea of a meeting with the education minister, and were even willing to travel to Dhaka to meet her.
But in the evening they came away from that position, and said that if the minister wants to solve the problem, she had to visit the SUST premises, or hold the meeting virtually.
“We will not go to Dhaka - the discussion will be held in Sylhet, not in Dhaka," said Shahriar Abedin, a spokesperson for the protesters.
Read: Rally held at DU in solidarity with SUST students
Earlier, a group of Bangladesh Awami League leaders led by its central organizing secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel spoke separately with the students and then Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin regarding the issue.
So far, 13 of the 24 SUST students who commenced a hunger strike since Wednesday ohave been hospitalized.The protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down.
In the small hours of Friday, the protesting students also brought out a torch rally and burnt the effigy pf the VC on the campus.
Hours before, a delegation of teachers met the students and requested them to break their fast. But the students didn’t respond to their request.
On Monday, the protesting students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed. The president is the chancellor of the university.
The students also rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period that came with a directive to leave the halls.
Read: RU suspends in-person classes, but students to remain on campus
That came following a clash on the campus between police and protesting students on Sunday (Jan 16). In the wake of the police action on its premises, students were asked to leave their halls of residence by 12pm the next day.
By then however, the situation had gone well beyond the control of the authorities. Students rejected the closure notice and not only stayed back on the campus - the next day they organised under a new demand that differentiates the movement since Monday from what happened previously.
This renewed movement was organised under one sole demand, that is the resignation of the VC, and nothing has yet worked to convince them to come off it.
Day 3 of hunger strike: 12 SUST students hospitalised
Now twelve of the 24 students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on an indefinite hunger strike since Wednesday have been hospitalised till Friday.
The 24 students embarked on fast-unto-death on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the resignation of the university's Vice-Chancellor.
In the past two days, most of the protesting students have fallen sick, UNB has learnt.
While Twelve of them have been hospitalised after their blood sugar levels dropped, remaining all were being given intravenous saline at the venue. One more left the venue in the early hours of Friday as his relative fell sick.
Also read: SUST students ‘fall sick’ on 2nd day of hunger strike; one hospitalised
SUST students ‘fall sick’ on 2nd day of hunger strike; one hospitalised
Twenty-four students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), who went on a hunger strike unto death on Wednesday demanding their Vice-Chancellor’s resignation, reportedly fell sick on Thursday with one of them being hospitalised.
Among them, Kajal Das was taken to a hospital in Sylhet city around 1:30 pm as he fell seriously sick.
The agitating students vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down.
Besides, a delegation of teachers came to the students around 8:45 pm on Wednesday and requested them to break their fast.
Also read: 24 SUST students go on hunger strike
SUST protest reaches DU campus
The wave of protests against the Vice-Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has reached the Dhaka University campus.
On Thursday morning, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal took out a rally on the DU campus, demanding the resignation of SUST V-C Professor Farid Uddin and the withdrawal of a police case filed against the protesting students of the university.
Read:24 SUST students go on hunger strike
Referring to the arrest of retired Professor Tajmeri Islam (considered pro-BNP) at the rally, Chhatra Dal president Fazlur Rahman Khokon said, "We have seen that she was sent to jail in a false case."
"And earlier, Professor Morshed was sacked just for subscribing to nationalist ideology. University teachers and students are being tortured this way," he added.
Read: 300 SUST students sued over clash with cops
Fazlur also came down heavily on the SUST V-C and the police for booking the students protesting on their campus. "We demand the withdrawal of the case immediately."
"Moreover, if the SUST V-C does not resign, the students will embark on a movement demanding the resignation of the government," he added.
24 SUST students go on hunger strike
Twenty-four students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) went on hunger strike unto death on Wednesday demanding the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation while some teachers staged protests against the students’ ‘indecent remarks’ about the VC
The students begun the hunger strike around 3pm in front of the residence of the VC as he didn’t not step down today as per their ultimatum.
READ: SUST students threaten fast-unto-death if V-C doesn't resign
The students said they will continue their hunger strike until the VC resigns.
Earlier on Tuesday night, the students set a deadline for the vice-chancellor to resign by 12 pm. They threatened that they will resort to hunger strike unto death if he doesn’t step down by the deadline.
300 SUST students sued over clash with cops
A case has been filed against 200-300 unnamed students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on charges of obstructing police from performing their duties and attacking them.
Md Abdul Hannan, sub-inspector (SI) of Jalalabad Police Station, filed the case around 8:30 pm on Monday.
Md Abu Khaleque, officer-in-charge of Jalalabad Police Station, accepted the case and instructed SI Md Asaduzzaman to investigate it.
Read: Sack V-C, SUST students urge President
According to the case statement, the SUST students were staging demonstrations on Sunday to press home their three-point demand, including the resignation of Jafrin Ahmed, provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury, and confined VC Farid Uddin Ahmed to a room.
The students reportedly obstructed police from performing their duties around 5.30 pm when they went there to rescue the VC. Around 200 to 300 students suddenly attacked the policemen and tried to snatch the firearms of police. They threw brickbats at the police and exploded cocktails, creating panic on the campus, according to the case statement.
Later, police opened fire and exploded 21 sound grenades to bring the situation under control, it said.