Truth has won, falsehood defeated: SUST VC

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice-Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed has vowed not to bow down to injustice.

"You have seen, truth has won today. Falsehood has been defeated," he said, launching a campus procession on Monday morning marking the founding anniversary of the university.

The VC said he would make SUST a full-fledged digital university within the next two years.

SUST students carried out a movement for 27 days demanding the resignation of the VC but withdrew their movement on Saturday. Launching the university's founding anniversary procession on Monday, Farid Uddin took part in a campus event for the first time since the movement for his resignation was launched.

Without directly mentioning the student movement, the VC said students are gentle at heart and can make mistakes. But teachers are their guardians and will look at their mistakes with forgiving eyes.

"Students have nothing to fear. Teachers will not do anything that harms their education," he said.

Farid Uddin said Shahjalal University is at the forefront of teaching and scientific research in the whole country. SUST's position is after BUET and DU in the ranking of the country's universities. He said this achievement has been made possible through the combined efforts of all and this progress must continue.

Calling on the media to publish objective news, the VC said, "Highlight our good deeds. If we do something bad, expose it, but do not spread confusion with wrong information."

Farid Uddin inaugurated the University Day programme by hoisting the national flag in the morning and a procession then paraded through various roads on campus.

SUST Treasurer Prof Anwarul Islam, and Registrar Ishfaqul Hossain, along with teachers, officers, employees and activists of a faction of the Chhatra League of the university took part in the procession.

Meanwhile, an emergency syndicate meeting on Sunday decided to open the university halls from Monday. Online classes will start in SUST from Tuesday.

Earlier, during the agitation, all university classes and examinations were cancelled. Its residential halls were declared closed on 16 January but the protesters defied the hall closure and remained in the halls.

Students started a protest movement from 16 January demanding the VC's resignation and continued their protest in front of the VC's residence from 17 January. On 19 January, 24 students went on a fast unto death. The students then barricaded the front gate of the vice-chancellor's house and barred anyone from entering. They also cut off the power supply for one day and also locked the vice-chancellor's office.

On 26 January, the students broke their fast on assurances by Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal. On the same day, they removed the barricade from in front of the VC's residence.

Last Friday evening, coming out of his house after 26 days, the VC came to office and met with Education Minister Dipu Moni on campus. At the meeting, the education minister advised the VC to continue his duties.

After meeting with teachers, the education minister also met with the agitating students. She assured the students she would convey their objections to the chancellor of the university, that is, the president of Bangladesh.

After this assurance from the education minister, the students withdrew their protest on Saturday evening.