13 former Rucsu leaders demand VC's resignation

Mahabub Alam Salehi is a prime suspect in the murder of RU geology and mining department teacher Prof S Taher Ahmed. He was killed on the campus on February 1. Salehi is an accused in the case.

The 13 leaders including nine former vice-presidents (VPs) and four general secretaries (GSs) of Rucsu expressed grave concern that Vice-chancellor Prof Altaf Hossain, by exercising his 'special power' allowed Salehi to appear at Masters examination, scheduled to begin on August 12.

In the statement, they said abuse of the 'special power' by the VC is condemnable as it tarnished the image of the university. No such event took place in the university's 54 year glorious history, they added.

They questioned the 'impartiality and honesty of the VC as a teacher and his right to hold the post. "He permitted the killer of a teacher to sit for examination", the statement said.

"The permission is illegal and politically biased. As the VC lost his moral right, he should resign from his post as early as possible in the interest of the university and students.

"We think he has no authority to stay as a guardian of 25,000 students", the statement said.

The signatories are former Rucsu VPs Abdur Razzak, Bayazid Ahmed, Prof Abu Sayeed, Abdur Rahman, Haider Ali, Mir Sawkat Ali, Nurul Islam Thandu, Ragib Ahsan Munna and Fazley Hossain Badshah; and general secretaries Sarder Amzad Hossain, Shamsul Haque Tuku, Jahangir Kabir Rana and Ruhul Quddus Babu.