BANGLADESH

A BUET student drowned in a pond on Sunday afternoon as he was visiting his grandparents on the Eid vacation.

Mursalin Karim, 20, was a first-year student of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

He was the son of Jillur Karim in Oxygen area of Chittagong City.

Grandfather Abdur Razzak told bdnews24.com that Karim drowned at a pond in Mozaher Parha in Cox's Bazaar district headquarters around 1:30pm.

Karim came to visit them from Chittagong in the morning and slipped into the pond around 1pm while playing.

Local people and relatives rushed to the scene at the scream of his elder brother Mostakim. Doctors at the Sadar Hospital declared him dead after he was taken there.

Students at BUET returned to classes on Saturday, after a break of more than two months when they, backed by many of their teachers, campaigned for the removal of the Vice-Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor.

The resumption was prompted by the removal of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Pro-Vice Chancellor Habibur Rahman, a clear sign that the government was paying heed to the demonstrators.

Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Sep 9 expressed hopes that the students would return to classes as they were keeping their promises.

The university authorities also withdrew two cases filed against the students during the protests as per the minister's assurance to the demonstrators.

Of the demonstrators, the teachers were the first to respond to the call with the BUET Teacher's Association, on Sep 10 afternoon, opting to resume classes from Saturday in line with a new academic calendar the Dean's Committee revealed earlier in the day.

The students also gave their green signal to the move pointing out that they would return to classes whenever called.

Vice Chancellor Professor S M Nazrul Islam nodded the calendar the next day, paving way for resumption of studies, ending the deadlock at Bangladesh's premier engineering university.

The movement

The teachers had been demonstrating since April demanding ouster of the VC and the Pro-VC on corruption charges. Later, students joined them.

The demonstrating teachers and students abstained from classes and tests, pushing the university into turmoil.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid met the teachers in an apparent bid to resolve the crisis roiling the institution. After the meeting, the teachers announced to return to class following Nahid's assurance to remove Pro-VC Prof Habibur Rahman and withdraw the cases.

The agitation at BUET gained pace as authorities filed two cases with the Shahbagh police on Sep 2 accusing around a hundred teachers and students of attacks on the offices of the VC and the Pro-VC, vandalism, ransacking records and looting Tk 0.3 million.

The BUET authorities filed application to withdraw the cases on Sep 5 following the VC's order.

The government on Sep 9 removed Prof Habibur Rahman from the office of Pro-Vice Chancellor.

The move met one of the assurances the Education Minister had made to them to pull the top engineering university out of the turmoil.

In the wake of the joint movement, the authorities had advanced the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation by a month to close it on July 10 until Aug 24. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.

The university resumed on Aug 25 but classes and examinations did not take place as the teachers and students pressed on with their protest.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday approved the decision to resume classes from Saturday.

"The Deans' Committee members came to me with the new academic calendar to resume classes from Saturday. I'll give my permission," Professor S M Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com .

The Committee devised a new academic calendar in Monday's meeting to end the deadlock at Bangladesh's premiere engineering university. At a media briefing following the meeting, the teachers said they had decided to return to classes.

The teachers had been demonstrating since April demanding ouster of the VC and the Pro-VC on corruption charges. Later students of the university joined them.

The demonstrating teachers and students abstained from classes and tests, pushing the university into turmoil.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid met the teachers in an apparent bid to resolve the crisis roiling the institution. After the meeting, the teachers announced to return to classes following Nahid's assurance to remove Pro-VC Prof Habibur Rahman and withdraw the cases.

The agitation at BUET gained pace as authorities filed two cases with the Shahbagh police on Sep 2 accusing around a hundred teachers and students of attacks on the offices of the VC and Pro-VC, vandalism, ransacking records and looting Tk 0.3 million.

The BUET authorities had filed applications to withdraw the cases on Sep 5 following the VC's order.

The government on Sunday removed Professor Habibur Rahman from the office of Pro-Vice Chancellor.

The move met one of the assurances the Education Minister had made to them to pull the top engineering university out of the turmoil.

In the wake of the joint movement, the authorities had advanced the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation by a month to close it on July 10 until Aug 24. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.

The university resumed on Aug 25 but classes and examinations did not take place as the teachers and students pressed on with their protest.

The agitating BUET students are yet to decide about their return to class though they welcomed removal of the Pro-Vice Chancellor and withdrawal of cases against them.

They now say the administration has to be shaken up alongside dropping criminal charges.

The government removed Pro-VC M Habibur Rahman on Sunday in the wake of movement by the teachers and students and the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid hoped that classes would resume on Monday.

Asked about their decision following the latest developments, Avik Roy, a representative of the students, said, "We thank the government for removing the Pro-VC. Still, we have two demands unmet."

"We will return to class only after the cases are withdrawn and the hall administration is reorganised," he added.

Minister Nahid had agreed to the demands of the students after they had refused to halt nonstop agitation though their teachers called off theirs on Sep 3 on promises from the minister. On Sep 5, he told students that the Pro-VC would be removed, cases filed against the agitating students withdrawn and measures taken so that the students were not harassed after the agitation was over.

Nahid had sat with the agitating teachers and students last week as academic activities at the university remained suspended for almost three months.

In the meetings, he had assured the aggrieved that their demand of removing Vice Chancellor Prof SM Nazrul Islam would also be considered later on.

On Aug 7, students had said they would return only after the assurances were implemented.

After removal of Pro-VC, the minister said, ""I want to see them in the classroom tomorrow. I expect they will act responsibly."

He also pointed out that final reports were submitted to the two cases filed against the teachers and students.

"So the case does not exist anymore," he added.

The teachers, however, do not see any stumbling blocks to their returning to class.

"There is no major obstacle to resume classes," said BUET Teachers Association's General Secretary Prof Ashraful Islam after the Pro-VC's exit.

He, however, termed the cases 'sensitive'.

"I hope the cases will be withdrawn by tomorrow (Monday). We will decide about returning to class later on," he said.

Student representative Roy also indicated at taking the decision after discussing matters with their teachers.

BUET Vice Chancellor SM Nazrul Islam said a new academic calendar would be announced with the day of resumption of classes being the first day.

"No fresh formalities or notice are needed to be issued for beginning of the class," he said. Once activities resume, the VC expects to sit with the Teachers' Association.

Asked if the teachers would sit with the VC, General Secretary Prof Islam said, "The Association will take a call on that. The situation to return to class has been created, but we lack confidence in the VC."

"You (journalists) will be informed about our (teachers association) stance regarding the VC," he added.

The teachers began their demonstration in April accusing the VC Islam and Pro-VC Rahman of a slew of irregularities in the administration. The students also eventually jumped on the bandwagon.

In the wake of the joint movement, the authorities had advanced the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation by a month to close it on July 10 until Aug 24. The decision, however, failed to deter the protesters from going ahead with the movement.

The university resumed on Aug 25 but classes and examinations did not take place as the teachers and students pressed on with their protest.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Wednesday assured the agitating BUET students of their security and asked them to return to class.

The student representatives returned to the campus and said they would announce their decision on Thursday.

Emerging from a meeting with the minister, they had said they would decide their next move after discussion with fellow protesters on the campus.
Bent on seeing Vice-Chancellor S M Nazrul Islam go, the students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology met Nahid at his Secretariat office at 4:15pm and the talks lasted for almost three hours.

The minister made the call after a meeting with the students, who considered resuming studies would be risky after the authorities had charged them with attack, vandalism, looting and ransacking. Teachers had also urged them to suspend their agitation after being convinced by the minister's assurance of removing the Pro-VC on Aug 3.

The meeting was attended by 16 representatives of the agitating students, accompanied by mechanical engineering Professor Muhammad Ehsan and industrial and production engineering Professor A K M Masud. Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser and University Grants Commission Chairman Prof A K Azad Chowdhury were also present in the meeting.

The student representatives and the minister later spoke to journalists.

The minister assured the students of the same steps he had promised the agitating teachers. He also told the students that the cases filed against the agitators would be withdrawn and they would not be harassed.

The teachers called off demonstrations on Tuesday and announced to return to classes following a meeting with Nahid on Monday night. Nahid had said Pro-VC Habibur Rahman would be removed and two cases the authorities had filed with the Shahbagh police against teachers and students would be withdrawn.

But the students remained firm on their position that the VC Islam would also have to be removed and said they wanted to speak to the minister.

Nahid said he heard the complaints from the students and issues relating to the problems were discussed.

"They have been assured so that a safe atmosphere prevails for education. Teachers and students should not be subjected to administrative harassment anyway. Stern action will be taken against irregularities including tampering with results."

BUET teachers began their demonstration in April accusing the VC and Pro-VC of different irregularities in the administration. The students also joined their cause eventually.

Regarding the demand of VC's removal the Minister said, "Everything required for return BUET its glorious tradition will be done."

Abhipriyo Chakrabarty, one of the student representatives, said, "We have been assured of no harassment."

"We are returning to the campus. Everyone is there. Decision will be taken after discussing issues with all."

The teacher AKM Masud said the issue of removal of the VC was also discussed at the meeting.

BUET teachers on Tuesday said they will return to classes 'soon' after Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid assured them of removing the Pro-Vice Chancellor and withdrawing cases filed against the teacher and students.

Nahid met the BUET Teachers' Association leaders on Monday midnight in an emergency meeting in an apparent bid to thrash out a solution to the crisis roiling the institution and persuaded them to change their mind on taking classes.

The meeting began around 11:15pm at the minister's official residence at the capital's Minto Road.

Around 1:15am, Association President Mojibur Rahman and Nahid told reporters about the decisions the meeting had reached.

The minister said the two cases against the teachers and students will be dropped while Pro-VC Habibur Rahman will also be removed within one or two days.

Nahid also assured them of steps against all irregularities plaguing the top engineering university and hoped that all teachers will now resume regular academic activities.

Mojibur Rahman told reporters, "The cases will be withdrawn. (The minister) said, 'Consider the charges dropped.' We are also assuming that is the case. The Pro-VC will be removed. Necessary steps on other matters will also be taken. We are assured of these."

Teachers and students of BUET have long been staging demonstrations demanding removal of the Vice-Chancellor Professor S M Nazrul Islam and Pro-VC Rahman. The minister also promised them of 'necessary' steps about that in future, Rahman said.

Mechanical Engineering Department teacher Maksud Helali, who attended the meeting with the minister, told bdnews24.com: "We have been told the Pro-VC will be removed within one or two days. The minister has also assured us of taking necessary measures to investigate all the allegations of irregularities."

Asked whether regular classes will resume from Tuesday, BUET Teachers' Association President Mojibur Rahman said, "We will get back to regular activities on BUET as soon as possible. We hope to resume classes soon."

Asked about a specific date about the resumption of classes, he said, "Our colleagues and students are waiting for us on the campus. We will hold a meeting in the morning and will inform everyone. We hope to restart regular activities very soon."

Earlier, an association member, preferring not to be named, had told bdnews24.com 12 members of the association including the President and General Secretary were having talks with the minister at his official residence.

Earlier at around 9:30pm, the BUET Teachers' Association had its own meeting.

Nahid had called the meeting on Monday evening and the association in that meeting decided to sit with him to end the standoff triggered by ingoing demonstrations of the teachers and students demanding resignation of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor and Pro-VC.

Earlier on Monday, he had told bdnews24.com: "We've been trying for the last few days for resolve the ongoing crisis at BUET. I hope the matter will be resolved very soon."

Meanwhile, students and teachers of BUET pressed on with their protests on the campus on Monday.

The agitation gathered pace after the BUET authorities filed the two cases with the Shahbagh police around Sunday midnight accusing around a hundred teachers and students of attacks on the offices of the VC and Pro-VC, vandalism, ransacking records and looting Tk 0.3 million.

The teachers and students, however, postponed their agitation around 3pm for the day upon assurance from the Education Secretary.

Around 12:15pm, the students gathered in front of the civil engineering building, the demonstrating students took blood out of their arms with syringe and sprinkled it on the stairs in front of the VC's office around an hour later. They took out a procession on the campus. They termed this programme as 'voluntary blood shedding'.

Several protesting teachers reportedly also took part in the programme by giving their blood.

The BUET authorities have filed two cases accusing around a hundred teachers and students of launching attacks on the offices of the Vice Chancellor and Pro-VC, vandalism, ransacking records and looting Tk 0.3 million.

The cases, which demonstrators claim is part of a conspiracy to stifle their VC and pro-VC ouster movement, were filed at the Shahbagh Police Station after 11pm on Sunday by the university's Assistant Registrar (Security) Golam Kuddus Khan.

"A total of 49 teachers and students have been named and another 50 unnamed are accused in the two cases," Shahbagh Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shirajul Islam told bdnews24.com.

The first case accuses 20 teachers and five students for attacking the office of Vice Chancellor S M Nazrul Islam, vandalism, looting Tk 0.3 million and ransacking records.

The list includes BUET Teachers'Association Registrar Ataur Rahman, Civil Engineering Department Teacher Ishtiaque Ahmed and Mechanical Engineering Department Chairman Ehsan.

The second case accuses 19 teachers and five students and another 50 unnamed 'miscreants' for attacking the office of Pro-VC Habibur Rahman, vandalism and ransacking records.

Vice President of the teacher's platform, Maksud Helali, and Mahbub Razzak were named in the list of accused.

Meanwhile, immediately after the cases where filed, police went to the campus and cordoned the demonstrators for some time, hiking tension in the area.

'It was Chhatra League'

The demonstrators have claimed that activists of the ruling party's student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, kicked the doors of the offices when they swooped on the VC and Pro-VC's offices on Sunday. They added that they were not responsible.

On Sunday, the students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology gave the embattled Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Vice Chancellor until 11am Monday to resign.

Or else, they threatened the authorities with 'tougher' agitation alongside the on-going nonstop sit-in demonstrations in front of the administrative building that continued through the night. The teachers, who were the first to raise the demand for resignations, also declared to join in.

Earlier in the morning, they burnt effigies of the VC and the Pro-VC as the 10am deadline they had given ended with no result.

They paraded down the campus chanting slogans against the duo and began staging sit-in in front of the administrative building, joined by the teachers.

Meanwhile, about 50 activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League's BUET chapter, which has been disbanded, donning white T-shirts gathered in front of the university cafeteria. The T-shirts read 'Honourable teachers, please keep classes out of the movement'.

They took out a procession carrying a banner 'Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Chhatra League'. They say the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami people were fanning the demonstrations against the VC and his deputy.

Tension ran high when the BCL activists reached the administrative building where the students were staging protests.

The BCL activists tried to enter the administrative building claiming that the VC and the Pro-VC had been confined to their offices, leading to a scuffle as the students tried to prevent them from interfering in their programmes.

The BCL supporters, however, forced their way into the offices of the VC and Pro-VC, and on their way out of the offices, they took the loudspeaker the general students were using.

According to the demonstrators, only a handful of the BCL activists were students of the university. BUET Proctor Dr Humayun Kabir said, "Some outsiders are trying to destroy our movement by attacking us. But we are not afraid (of them)."

Currently, the BCL has no official committee at BUET. This is the first time the BCL adherents came out on the campus since students and teachers burst into protest demanding resignation of what they say the 'corrupt' VC and Pro-VC.

When asked for comment on the demand, VC Islam said, "I have not been given any deadline. The teachers discussed with me yesterday and I listened to them and also told them about my thoughts."

"The government's decision is my decision," he added.

Leaders of the university's teachers association met the VC and Pro-VC on Saturday to ask them to step down for the sake of the university.

The BUET erupted into protests as students took to the streets on the first day it reopened after 44 days of closure on account of the Eid-ul-Fitr. General teachers also did not go to classes after the university reopened on Aug 25.

The agitation has also made the fate of thousands of admission-seekers uncertain.

The teachers' association began work abstention on Apr 7 demanding removal of the VC and Pro-VC. They continued with the programme until the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged a solution to the crisis after consulting the President, the Chancellor.

They resumed agitation as no decision came forth from the government and announced nonstop work abstention from July 14.

In the wake of the teacher-student movement, the authorities had advanced the Eid-ul-Fitr vacation to close it on July 10 but the decision failed to deter the protests and the teachers kept boycotting the classes.

Having already become a 'talk of the town' for his productions like Khoj-The Search and Most Welcome, actor M A Jalil Ananta has now become the 'voice' of student movement.

Demonstrating BUET students seeking ouster of their vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor, laid siege to the VC residence with their placards with Jalil's taunting words.

The businessman turned actor, whose movies have become an unequivocal source of entertainment for cinemagoers, himself became a source of bemused discussion.

Reopening after a 44-day closure, the stalemate at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology persisted as teachers and students resumed their protests from Saturday refraining from classes.

Jalil Ananta had appeared on a talk show of Somoy Television where he recounted an anecdote with much gusto about how he had strived to dispel the common misconception about Bengali movie stars.

Conspicuous with his face-painted sideburns, Ananta said on the show – broadcast over the long Eid vacation – that he had been to a restaurant where a bunch of 'unsavoury' youths called out to their fellows that there was a Bengali movie star in the restaurant.

Jalil had taken serious exception and recounted how he had put them in their place.

The Dhallywood action movie star told the audience that he had instead, asked them, "(Are) you pom (from) Gana (Ghana)?", "You think Bangla chhobi (films) hero means they are uneducated?". He continued, "You are living in Bangladesh, ok, man, you have to respecting Bangladesh because you are eating food from Bangladesh."

On Saturday, the BUET students taunted their VC and Pro VC with the same questions. They laid the siege around 1pm and left the place two hours later with more demonstrations in the offing.

The video of that programme with Ananta's questions became an instant hit when it found its way to Youtube and Facebook.

The BUET VC has convened an emergency meeting of the Syndicate, the highest policy-making body of the premier university, on Monday as the BUET stalemate was yet to be resolved.

The meeting scheduled to be held at 5pm will discuss the overall situation, Prof Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com on Sunday evening.

The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) reopened on Saturday after a 44-day shutdown stemming from protests by its teachers and students seeking ouster of the Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor.

No classes were held at the university on Saturday, the first day of resumption of academic activities at the university.

No classes took place on Sunday too.

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 charges.

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.

"The emergency syndicate meeting has been called under such an unusual situation. The meeting will discuss various issues including that of teachers not joining classes defying court's orders," he added.

Admission test to BUET for the 2012-2013 academic sessions 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.

One of the teachers, seeking anonymity, said the teachers were not attending classes claiming personal reasons to stay away from court contempt.

Asked whether the Syndicate would pressurise the teachers to join classes, he said, "The members of the body will take decisions after discussing several issues."

Meanwhile, the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is leaving Dhaka on Sunday night on a seven-day visit to attend the 'Commonwealth Education Ministers Conference' in Mauritius. He is scheduled to return on Sep 2.

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 their 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 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.

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 High Court was moved on Sunday for withdrawal within 24 hours the VC's order to shut down Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Dr Mohammad Yunus Ali Akanda, a father of a BUET admission-seeker, filed the motion seeking suspension on the activities of the Vice-Chancellor (VC) and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Pro-VC) and other teachers, students and staff's agitation until the ruling is disposed of.

Alongside BUET, the Education Secretary, Inspector General of Police, DMP Commissioner, the university's VC and Pro-VC, BUET Teachers Association President and General Secretary have been made respondents in the petition.

The BUET authorities had shut the institution for 44 days from July 11 in the wake of raging protest by teachers and students demanding removal of the VC and Pro-VC.

Akanda also sought court directives for the Education Secretary to form a judicial committee within seven days to investigate the recent incidents at BUET.

He asked for a directive for the respondents to publish the admission notice for the 2012-13 session within three days of the verdict.

The counsel told bdnews24.com the BUET authorities shut the institution citing summer vacation in the rainy season and it was creating terrible backlog. He said all universities had published their admission notice for the first year admission except BUET.

He said the court might hear the petition on Monday.

Teachers at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have threatened to resign en masse unless the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor leave by Sunday.

The teachers, demonstrating for quite some time now, took the decision at a general meeting of their association on Monday afternoon. The meeting that lasted for two and a half hours starting at 4pm was held at the Civil Engineering Building with more than 250 educators in attendance.

Former Director of Students Welfare Prof Aminul Hoque said the meeting also decided to stage demonstration for two hours starting 11am every day.

He said they would be collecting signatures from teachers until Sunday in a campaign to force the duo to resign. He said they will resign en masse if their demand was not met by then.

According to him, over 250 teachers agreed to resign at the meeting by signing a declaration at the meeting.

Students began contacting their teachers after a rumour swirled at the campus in the afternoon that the agitating teachers were withdrawing their strike. They requested them not to withdraw the programme.

Later, the teachers' association leader Prof Humayun Kabir announced on the loudspeaker that they would not backtrack on their demand.

The deadlock at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has taken a new turn as a group of teachers, students and employees of the institution have emerged to support the beleaguered Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor.

'BUET Teachers-Students-Officers-Employees Unity Forum' held a rally in front of the BUET Cafeteria on Saturday afternoon and told reporters that the teachers association's demands were irrational.

They also added a political flavour to the movement, claiming most of the teachers protesting against the VC were Jamaat-e-Islami aligned.

Professor Munaj Ahmed Noor, convenor of the newly-formed forum, said after the rally that the most of the 16-point demands put forth by the protesters had been met.

"Moreover, 10 of their demands are contrary to the interests of the officers and employees," he added.

Speakers at the rally urged the demonstrators to withdraw the movement and let a judicial commission investigate allegations against the VC.

BUET Deputy Registrar and Bangabandhu Parishad President Kamal Ahmed said, "Seeing the involvement of pro-Jamaat teachers among the demonstrators, I suspect that this is a deep conspiracy against the state, government and BUET."

Earlier in the morning, the demonstrating teachers and students vowed to continue their protests seeking removal of the VC and his deputy.

On the fourth day of the continuous protests, the agitating teachers and students brought out a silent procession from in front of the academic building and paraded across the campus and the Central Shaheed Minar.

The BUET Teachers Association General Secretary Professor Ashraful Islam administered an oath of the teachers and students. More than 200 teachers and students reportedly took part in the oath and vowed to continue with their demonstration until the VC and Pro-VC step down.

They have been staging sit-in protests in front of the academic building since last Wednesday demanding VC Prof SM Nazrul Islam and Pro VC Prof M Habibur Rahman's resignation.

The students have initiated a mass signature campaign in support of their demand. They said the collected signatures along with their demands would be handed over to the President Zillur Rahman, who is also the Chancellor of the university, on Sunday.

The teachers, officials and students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (BUET) are demonstrating demanding the resignation of VC and pro-VC, even after the institution was shut down for Ramadan and Eid vacation earlier than scheduled.

BUET Teachers' Association President Professor Mujibur Rahman on Wednesday announced that they would continue sit-in protests.

The association also demanded that the authorities resume classes.

"The authorities got scared once the students joined the agitation and shut down the university," professor Rahman told 
"Vice-Chancellor S M Nazrul Islam has been working in free style, according to his wish. Shutting the university down without talking to anyone is just another example of that," he said.

Faced with continuous protests BUET authorities shut the university for Ramadan vacation one month ahead of schedule.

"Actually, there were no classes due to the teachers' strike. Moreover, the teachers are trying to drag the students into the protest. So, we've taken the decision," VC Nazrul Islam said when asked about the decision.

BUET Teachers Association had enforced a strike from Apr 7 to May 5 for the demand. They were to enforce a fully-fledged strike from Jul 14, but the authorities announced the vacation before the strike.

After the Prime Minister had promised to consider their demand, they postponed the strike for one month. But as their demand was not met within Jul 7, they have been refraining from work for two hours from 11am to 1pm.

Faced with student protests, BUET has permanently expelled two of the three students who assaulted another injuring him grievously.

On Sunday the authorities had expelled the three for six months, but students protested throughout the night demanding their permanent expulsion.

In a meeting on Monday afternoon, the board of residence and disciplinary committee decided to expel assaulters Saifullah Sikder Mithun and Sujit Saha of metallurgy 2008 batch.

BUET pro-vice chancellor Habibur Rahman told reporters about the duo's permanent expulsion order after the meeting on Monday.

The third student, Arif Raihan Dip of mechanical engineering 2009 batch, is expelled for six months following Sunday's order which was first given. All three were members of Chhatra League, ruling Awami League's student wing.

A four-strong committee to look into the matter was also formed on Sunday and submitted its findings earlier on Monday. The disciplinary committee gave the new decision upon the probe report.

Following a dispute on Dec 28 between the senior and junior batches over entering a concert organised for the rag day of the outgoing batch, Sujit, Mithun and Dip on Dec 31, beat Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department final year student Tousif Ahmed Ishan with hockey stick and iron rod in his room in the Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall to take revenge.

Ishan is currently undergoing treatment at the capital's Square Hospital with severe injuries in his both hands and legs. BUET authorities have already announced to bear the expenses of his treatment.

According to rules, expelled students can apply to the academic council within 15 days to reconsider their expulsion order.

One of the protesters, CSE department student Nur-e-Bahar Yasha told reporters, "Though we have agreed with the authority's decision, we are hoping that even if they apply, their punishment won't be reduced."

Meanwhile, when asked whether organisational actions would be taken against the three, BUET unit Chhatra League general secretary Tonmoy Ahmed on Monday told : "It was their personal matter. The organisation will not take responsibility for their own actions."

Meanwhile, extra police have been deployed on the university campus and the hall premises to avoid any untoward incident following the current situation.

The students of the university, who have been surrounding the offices of vice chancellor and pro-vice chancellor for the last two days, demanding their expulsion and protesting the incident, have returned to their dormitories and home after hearing the authority's decision around 9pm.