Brac University protest: 6 students on hunger strike

Six Brac University students among hundreds who are protesting an assault on a lecturer allegedly by the university registrar started a hunger strike today.

The students, who are also protesting an assault on their fellows by security guards during demonstrations on Tuesday, announced that they would boycott their final exams scheduled to start on Sunday.

Noman Parvez, Kamrun Nahar Dana, Yeasinur Rahman Rony, Ashik Estiak, Sadia Afrin and Akash Rahman of school of law, school of business and school of mathematics and natural sciences at the university started the hunger strike demanding fair probe into the incident and intervention of University Grants Commission and the Education Ministry to resolve the matter.

“I am not a student from the school of law but this protest has become our protest because students were assaulted. And if this is not resolved, they will get the courage to do it again,” said Akash Rahman, a student of school of mathematics and natural sciences.

There have been no visible actions taken by the university authorities to resolve the issue despite assault on female students during the protest, the protesting students said.

The students demanded intervention of government to probe the matter as they do not have faith on the university authorities. 

Despite suspension of classes, the students started gathering around the campus for the fifth consecutive day since the morning.

Amid protest, the authorities suspended all classes for Wednesday and Thursday. The examinations however will continue on schedule, BRAC University Vice-chancellor Syed Saad Andaleeb said in a notice issued around 3:00pm yesterday.

Lecturer of the law department Farhaan Uddin Ahmed filed a complaint against Registrar Muhammad Sahool Afzal, Assistant Registrar Md Mahi Uddin and senior officer at the office of co-curricular activities Jabed Rasel over the alleged assault on him on Sunday.

On his Facebook page, Farhaan wrote he had been called to the registrar's office on Sunday and then to the human resources department where he was handed a cheque and documents for immediate termination of his contract with the university.

He refused to accept the cheque and documents. “Since I had submitted an official grievance application against the administration, I refused to accept the documents.” The Grievance Resolution Committee was yet to make its final decision.

Source: thedailystar