SUST students ban Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal from campus

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) who are protesting for quota reforms in government jobs have issued a ban on Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal from entering the university.

"Muhammad Zafar Iqbal is banned from SUST for life," reads a statement signed by general students of SUST which went viral on social media today (17 July). 

The popular writer is a retired professor of this university who faced backlash for his comments on the quota reform protesters. 

A part of a two-page letter written by Zafar Iqbal went viral on social media. In it, he wrote, "Dhaka University is my university, my beloved university. However, I think I will never want to go to this university again. Seeing the students will remind me that they might be 'Razakars'."

Dr Zafar Iqbal's note was shared widely on Facebook on 16 July, igniting further debate and discussion among netizens and stakeholders in the ongoing quota reform movement.

In response to his remarks, SUST students in their statement said, "We had great respect for Muhammad Zafar Iqbal. But his article from yesterday has disappointed and angered us. He has stood against the general students. When students are being killed and attacked, as a teacher, he should not write such things. Therefore, we have banned him from the SUST campus for life."

Meanwhile, the university administration today announced an indefinite suspension of educational activities at SUST. Additionally, all residential students were instructed to vacate their dormitories by 3pm. 

The decision to vacate the dorms was made at an emergency syndicate meeting held at 10am today. 

Reacting to this decision, the protesting students expressed their anger, stating that they would not leave the dorms. 

A statement in the name of the protesting 'general students' spread on Facebook.

In the statement posted in the "Beauty of SUST Campus" Facebook group, it was mentioned, "The general students have ordered the indefinite closure of the registrar's building, the controller's office, and the VC's office."