From New Age
The proctor of Jahangirnagar University, Arju Miah, on Monday resigned his position in the face continued teacher-student protests since a student was tortured to death by activists of Chhatra League on January 9.
The protesters described the proctor’s resignation as their partial victory and said they would continue the movement until all of their demands was met. They warned that they would wage a movement for resignation of vice-chancellor Shariff Enamul Kabir if he failed meet the demands.
Arju Miah announced his resignation at a press conference about 12:30pm in the senate hall saying that he had made the decision for the sake of ‘peaceful academic atmosphere on the campus’.
A media release issued by the university’s public relations office said, ‘Professor Dr Mohammad Arju Miah has willingly stepped down from the proctor’s post, considering the situation that arose after the death of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year student of English department.’
He turned in his resignation to allow the university’s ‘regular activities to continue’, read the release.
Despite leaving the position of the proctor, Arju still retains the posts of the provost of Shaheed Rafique-Zabbar Hall and president of the university shop owners’ association.
The teachers protesting under the banner of ‘Shikkhak Samaj’ said they would resume their academic and administrative activities today as the proctor had been removed but they stuck to their remaining demands, including ‘punishment’ of Arju Miah as per the university’s ‘efficiency and discipline’ rules for assaulting the president of the university teachers’ association, AA Mamun.
Nasim Akhtar Hossain, a professor of government and politics, told New Age, ‘We will join work tomorrow [Tuesday] but our movement would continue until all our demands are met. If the vice-chancellor fails to accept the demands, we would have no option but to wage a movement [for his resignation].’
‘Our demands have been fulfilled partially. Our key demands, the resignation of the entire proctorial body, expulsion of all people involved in Zubair killing, security of all students and teachers and proper academic atmosphere,’ she said.
After the proctor’s resignation, the students under the banner of ‘Jahangirnagar against terrorism’ announced that they would continue their protests until all their demands were met.
Amid continued protests, the university authorities have expelled three students for their involvement in torturing Zubair to death and police arrested four students. A security officer was also sacked after the killing.
The students and teachers are demanding a judicial investigation of the killing of Zubair Ahmed, a fourth-year English department student who was tortured to death on January 9 by a faction of Chhatra League said to be loyal to the vice-chancellor.
They accused the vice-chancellor of harbouring hooligans and warned him of movement for his removal if he failed to meet the demands.
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