Pro-VC, registrar freed after six hours of confinement at RU
Meanwhile, the university administration announced that the admission process under institutional facilities has been suspended due to the prevailing unrest on campus
Rajshahi University (RU) Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Main Uddin and Registrar Prof Iftikharul Alam Masud, along with other teachers were freed tonight (20 September) after being confined for nearly six hours by protesting students at the Zuberi Bhaban over the ward quota (quota for official's children).
Around 11:15pm, the students moved from the Zuberi Bhaban to stage a sit-in in front of the vice-chancellor's residence.
The group of teachers and officials, which also included Proctor Prof Mahbubor Rahman, had been held inside a second-floor room since the afternoon following a scuffle on the building's veranda.
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Meanwhile, the university administration announced that the admission process under institutional facilities has been suspended due to the prevailing unrest on campus, said a post from its official Facebook page.
An emergency syndicate meeting has been convened for 21 September to review the overall situation of the university, it added.
Earlier at 9pm, reportedly 500 students were staging a sit-in outside the room, chanting slogans.
Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir joined the scene around 5pm, expressing solidarity with the protesting students. Leaders of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal arrived later in the evening, also extending support to the demonstration.
Earlier this evening, Proctor Prof Mahbubor Rahman said that students not only confined them but also locked the pro-VC's residence gate.
According to witnesses, the confrontation began around 2:30pm when students staged a demonstration in front of the administrative building, setting tires on fire and demanding the cancellation of the ward quota.
As the pro-VC attempted to leave in his car, students blocked the vehicle, chanting "Sikkha bhikkha eksathe chole na" while throwing money onto it.
He later moved toward his residence, accompanied by the proctor, only to find the gate padlocked by the students.
Unable to enter, the officials headed to the Zuberi Bhaban, followed by slogan-chanting students. When the pro-VC and proctor entered the teachers' lounge, students gathered outside, forcing them to come out again.
Moments later, as they attempted to re-enter the building with other teachers and officials, pushing and shoving broke out on the veranda. Students surrounded Pro-VC Main Uddin and later confined him, along with several officials, in a second-floor room of the building.
"When we tried to enter the Zuberi Bhaban again, students obstructed us. During the scuffle, my wristwatch and some money were snatched away," the proctor said.
Several protesters, including former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination Salahuddin Ammar and RU Chhatra Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Al Shahriar Shuvo, sustained injuries during the altercation, according to eyewitnesses.
Efforts to reach Vice-Chancellor Prof Saleh Hasan Naqib for comment went unanswered, as he did not respond to repeated phone calls.
Earlier, on 2 January, the university had permanently abolished the ward quota following widespread student protests.
Since 13 August, however, a faction of teachers, staff, and officials has staged strikes and sit-ins demanding reinstatement of the quota along with seven other demands.
On 17 September, a section of faculty and staff had warned they would launch a full-day strike from 21 September if the reinstatement was not approved.
In response, the university's admission committee on 18 September decided to offer conditional admission under the quota for the 2024-25 academic year, a decision that sparked student protests and led to a sit-in in front of the administration building yesterday afternoon.
