By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net
The standoff between students and administration at Aliah University shows no sign of ending, with more than 20 students beaten by Bidhannagar police after students continued their protests demanding the resignation of the current Vice Chancellor. Three of the students beaten by Police are said to be in a critical condition, while nine students were also arrested from the spot. The charges brought against them are unlawful assembly, rioting, and obstructing public servants in discharge of duties.
The student unrest has engulfed the two campuses of the University for the last month, with student demanding the resignation of Vice Chancellor Dr Abu Taleb Khan, accusing him of nepotism, corruption at the time of recruitment and not fulfilling the requirements that are a damned need in the campuses.
On Saturday, 250-300 protesting students tried to block the meeting of its Executive Council, which was scheduled to be held in the New Town Campus. They were protesting against the formation of new Executive Council as it fails to include students’ representation that goes against the University Act, which permits representation of Students in any executive activity of the University.
They blocked the main gate of the Newtown Campus from inside at around 1.30 P.M in order to not allow the members of the EC including the V.C for the meeting.
Instead of entering the campus, the VC along with other members of the Council arranged the meeting in the nearby Hajj house, which the students initially were unaware about. But when they came to know about it, they lied down on the floor to stop the EC members leaving after the meeting ended. Soon, police arrived on the spot and severely beat up some of the students protesting along with arresting nine students.
Khairul Haque Chowdhury, a protesting student, said, “We were peacefully protesting against the violation of University’s law for the establishment of Executive Council where it is stated that one student representative should be included in the time of forming any executive body in the university. But after a certain time, police charged us severely with lathis by the consent of our V.C and forced us to leave, injuring many of us.” He added that a VC had no right to order police to attack the protesting students when they are doing it peacefully.
When TwoCircles.net approached Dr Nursadh Ali, the registrar of the University, he remarked, “The University authority has no role in the arrest of students. It was initiated by the police officials to maintain law and order.”
On Saturday evening, 400 students demonstrated in front of the Newtown police station demanding an explanation for the students being beaten by the civic police. the students submitted a memorandum.
Responding to the present situation at this University, Md. Kamruzzaman, the General Secretary of All Bengal Minority Youth Federation and an alumnus, said “The act of police beating up students is highly condemnable. I may not agree with all their demands but I cannot accept the attempt to suppress the rights of students to protest.
Sk Abul Kalam Azad, a former General Secretary of this University, said, “There are many internal problems in this university that should be dealt with immediately. But while students are protesting by bunking classes for more than one month, the administration is suppressing the rights of the students to protest. This will not lead to any conclusion. There lacks a dialogue between the students and administration in this university.”
However, according to an ex-student who refused to be named, the police action might bring some order to the University. “Whatever has happened yesterday is good for other students who are not allowed to do their classes. Their silence shows that they do not agree to the fabricated, self-interest demands of the protesting students who hardly attend classes and instead want more focus on regular classes.”