CU students refuse to leave halls, time extended till 10am today; teachers condemn violence on students

Most of the residential students of Chittagong University refused to leave the halls on Wednesday even after the directive from the administration to vacate halls.

Later, the CU administration extended time till 10am on Thursday.

According to the decision of the CU syndicate meeting, the university was declared closed indefinitely and the female students were instructed to leave the halls by 6:00pm on Wednesday (July 17) and the male students by 9:30pm.

The provosts were also instructed to seal all the rooms after the students left the halls.

After the expiry of the deadline, it was found that only the female students left the Folilatunnesa Mujib Hall. Almost all the students are still staying in the remaining four halls.

The students submitted a written application to the vice-chancellor with a three-point demand, expressing their inability to leave the halls.

The demands are: general students cannot be forced to leave the halls under any circumstances, the university administration will bear the responsibility of ensuring round-the-clock security outside the halls and a house tutor will be present at all times to ensure the safety of the students staying in the halls.

A student staying in the hall said, “The university administration ordered us to leave the halls in a hurry. Students like me, whose home is far away, it is not possible to leave the hall at the moment if they want. We have to stay in the hall now. And our brothers are agitating. It is not possible for us to leave them and go home right now. “

Chittagong University Proctor Ohidul Alam said many  students’ homes are far away and so it is not possible for them to leave the halls within the stipulated time.

“That’s why they appealed. In view of this, we have said that the students will have to vacate all the halls by 10 am on Thursday. If anyone wants to stay without listening to us, then the university administration will not be responsible for the situation.”

Teachers condemn violence on students

CU’s Teachers’ Association has condemned the violence that erupted during the ongoing quota reform protest in Bangladesh.

The association is calling for the identification and punishment of those responsible for the attacks on teachers and students.

In a statement issued on Wednesday (17 July), signed by the association’s president, Prof Md Mahbubur Rahman, and general secretary, Prof ABM Abu Noman, the teachers condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the victims.

The statement read, “Due to the quota reform movement, unstable situations and violence have arisen at Chittagong University and other campuses nationwide, leading to the deaths of several students, and injuries to teachers from Dhaka and Jahangirnagar University.

“The Chittagong University Teachers’ Association is extremely concerned, saddened, and shocked by these heinous incidents.” The association extended its condolences to the families of those killed and wished for the recovery of the injured.

“We strongly condemn and protest these heinous incidents. We pray for the peace of the souls of all those killed in the violence and express our deepest condolences to the bereaved families. We express our sympathy to the injured teachers and students and demand proper treatment from the concerned authorities,” the statement added.

Emphasising the need for safety on campuses, the association urged the authorities to prioritise the security of both students and teachers. They also demanded a legal and logical resolution to the quota system and strict punishment for the perpetrators.