SUST students call for removal of VC in open letter to president

The agitating students, who continued to demonstrate to meet their three-point demand including the resignation of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology vice chancellor, have written an "open letter" to President Abdul Hamid, also chancellor of the university.

A student on behalf of the protesting students read the open letter during a sit-in programme in front of SUST VC Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed's residence around 10:20 pm last night, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

The letter alleged that with direct instruction from the university administration, police, without any provocation, blasted sound grenades and charged batons on students of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall and other students of the university, who were demonstrating in front of M Wazed Miah Building (ICT Building) on Sunday to meet their three-point demand for safe accommodation.

 At least 40 students were injured in the police attack, the letter said.

The open letter further said the incident of such brutal attack on the students by the police, who were called by the university administration, is unprecedented in the history of independent Bangladesh.

The students also wrote that at present, no student feels safe on campus as VC Farid is still in charge. The presence of police with water cannons and riot vehicles on campus has created an atmosphere of insecurity among the students.

In the letter, they urged the president to ensure security for them by ordering the withdrawal of additional police personnel deployed on the SUST campus.

The students also appealed to the president to take an initiative to maintain the educational environment of the university by appointing an honest and competent person as the new VC through confirming the resignation of the present VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.