Buet Teachers’ Committee demands resignation of Vice-Chancellor

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Teachers' Committee organised an emergency general meeting on Wednesday at its premises over the cruel murder of Abrar Fahad, a student in the department of electrical and electronics engineering. 

The committee also blamed the inactivity of the university authority for all the incidents of torture, and said that Abrar's murder is a result of the callousness of the authority. The committee came to the conclusion that the vice-chancellor has lost the moral right to hold the position, and demanded his immediate resignation. 

If the vice-chancellor does not resign himself, the Buet Teachers' Committee has asked the government to remove him from the position. 

Provosts and assistant provosts of various halls brought up other incidents of torture and ragging, and the apathy of the university in dealing with them. They also criticised illegal room occupation through political sponsorship, establishing political organisation offices on campus, spreading of drugs on campus, etc. 

The speakers said though Professor Dr Sattya Prosad Mozumder, former chairman of Students Welfare, and Professor Saiful Islam, former vice-chancellor, have been informed about the incidents, they did not do anything about it. The meeting discussed the helplessness of the provosts and assistant provosts in dealing with these issues. 

After Abrar was murdered, Sher e Bangla Hall provost tried to contact the vice-chancellor several times but, but did not get a response. The VC did not visit the hall even once after the incident, and did not attend Abrar's 'janaza' (funeral prayer) which was held on campus. He did not even offer his condolences to the murdered student's parents.  

The speakers also said his inhumane attitude has tarnished Buet's image in the eyes of the people of Bangladesh. 

They said these incidents prove that the university has not taken any action against incidents of torture and illegal activities that have been going on for a long time. 

All participants of the meeting want discipline restored and security improved in the halls of residence of the university.  

A university should have an environment that encourages free thought, they said.

The following decisions have been taken at the meeting:

All the people accused of murdering Abrar have to be tried in the shortest possible time by a special tribunal.

Abrar's family should be given the funds required for the case.

The people involved in the murder must be expelled from Buet permanently. 

The illegal occupation of rooms at all residential halls has to be stopped for the sake of security and discipline. 

A probe committee must be formed to identify past incidents of torture and ragging, and proper action should be taken against them. 

All student politics influenced by political parties must be banned on campus.