No classes took place even on the second day at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) that reopened after a 44-day shutdown following protests by teachers and students.
The teachers are not attending classes through there is no programme of agitation while the students are unwilling to return to classroom until the standoff among the teachers is over.
No classes were held at the university on Saturday, the first day of resumption of academic activities at the university.
Admission test to BUET for the 2012-2013 academic session has also become uncertain as the protesting teachers have been boycotting classes and other academic activities for more than a month.
In the wake of movement demanding resignation of the VC and Pro-Vice Chancellor, the BUET authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to close it on July 10. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.
Some of the demonstrating teachers said they pressed on with their protests at personal level by skipping classes but without any formal declaration of any protest plan to avoid facing contempt of court charge.
The High Court on Aug 14 in a rule ordered authorities to start the admission process of the first-year students amid the teachers' protests.
Students' presence on the campus was very thin on Sunday.
Sudipto Shaha, a student of the Department of Medical Engineering, was one of the very few who came to the campus.
"We will not return to the classes until the standoff ends. We are also demanding removal of the VC. The Eid vacation has just ended and we will decide the next course of action once all returns," said Saha.
Aked why classes were not being held, the VC Prof Nazrul Islam said, "It has to be discussed with teachers why they are not coming to classes."
He observed teachers not taking classes is also a kind of agitation in violation of the court order and accused them of contempt of court.
The VC, who faced harsh protest from his colleagues and students recently, had earlier threatened to continue the university's academic activities by appointing new teachers.
Brushing aside the allegation, BUET Teachers Association General Secretary Prof Ashraful Islam told bdnews24.com: "It is the interpretation of the Vice Chancellor. The teachers are not in any kind of agitation. So, there is no question of contempt of court. If any teacher does not take class, it is completely his personal decision."
The Teachers Association had started abstaining from work on Apr 7 demanding the removal of the VC and Pro-VC Habibur Rahman and continued with the movement for a month. After the Prime Minister had promised to consider their demand, they had postponed the strike. But as their demand was not met within July 7, they started work abstention for two hours from 11am.
The BUET authorities shut the university on July 10, a month in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, until Aug 24 and the teachers and students erupted in protest.
On July 11, 24 teachers holding administrative posts resigned and the Teachers Association announced that the teachers would resign en masse on July 22 if there demand was not met.
They, however, postponed the 'resignation decision' until July 30 after Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had said a solution would be worked out after discussions with the Prime Minister and the President, days before the court slapped the ban on any protests on the BUET campus.
The teachers are not attending classes through there is no programme of agitation while the students are unwilling to return to classroom until the standoff among the teachers is over.
No classes were held at the university on Saturday, the first day of resumption of academic activities at the university.
Admission test to BUET for the 2012-2013 academic session has also become uncertain as the protesting teachers have been boycotting classes and other academic activities for more than a month.
In the wake of movement demanding resignation of the VC and Pro-Vice Chancellor, the BUET authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to close it on July 10. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.
Some of the demonstrating teachers said they pressed on with their protests at personal level by skipping classes but without any formal declaration of any protest plan to avoid facing contempt of court charge.
The High Court on Aug 14 in a rule ordered authorities to start the admission process of the first-year students amid the teachers' protests.
Students' presence on the campus was very thin on Sunday.
Sudipto Shaha, a student of the Department of Medical Engineering, was one of the very few who came to the campus.
"We will not return to the classes until the standoff ends. We are also demanding removal of the VC. The Eid vacation has just ended and we will decide the next course of action once all returns," said Saha.
Aked why classes were not being held, the VC Prof Nazrul Islam said, "It has to be discussed with teachers why they are not coming to classes."
He observed teachers not taking classes is also a kind of agitation in violation of the court order and accused them of contempt of court.
The VC, who faced harsh protest from his colleagues and students recently, had earlier threatened to continue the university's academic activities by appointing new teachers.
Brushing aside the allegation, BUET Teachers Association General Secretary Prof Ashraful Islam told bdnews24.com: "It is the interpretation of the Vice Chancellor. The teachers are not in any kind of agitation. So, there is no question of contempt of court. If any teacher does not take class, it is completely his personal decision."
The Teachers Association had started abstaining from work on Apr 7 demanding the removal of the VC and Pro-VC Habibur Rahman and continued with the movement for a month. After the Prime Minister had promised to consider their demand, they had postponed the strike. But as their demand was not met within July 7, they started work abstention for two hours from 11am.
The BUET authorities shut the university on July 10, a month in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, until Aug 24 and the teachers and students erupted in protest.
On July 11, 24 teachers holding administrative posts resigned and the Teachers Association announced that the teachers would resign en masse on July 22 if there demand was not met.
They, however, postponed the 'resignation decision' until July 30 after Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid had said a solution would be worked out after discussions with the Prime Minister and the President, days before the court slapped the ban on any protests on the BUET campus.
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