10 hospitalized

* SUST students hunger strike enters 4th day

* Dipu Moni talks to agitators

Ten of the 24 students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology on an indefinite hunger strike since Wednesday have been hospitalised. The 24 students embarked on fast-unto-death on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the resignation of the university’s vice-chancellor. In the past two days, most of the protesting students have fallen sick.

While ten of them have been hospitalised after their blood sugar levels dropped, nine of them are being given intravenous saline at the venue. One more left the venue in the early hours of Friday as his relative fell sick.

The protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the vice-chancellor steps down.

In the small hours of Friday, the protesting students also brought out a torch rally and burnt the effigy of the vice-chancellor on the campus.

Hours back, a delegation of teachers met the students and requested them to break their fast. But the students didn’t respond to their request.

On Monday, the protesting students wrote an open letter to president Abdul Hamid, demanding the immediate removal of vice-chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed.

The students also rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the direction to leave the halls. Currently, the students are staying on the campus.

SUST was to close, following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on Sunday. Its students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12:00pm on Monday.

Provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall Zafrin Ahmed was at the centre of the trouble, having reportedly misbehaved with some students. She has already resigned from her post, citing health issues.

Nazia Chowdhury of the Physics department has been appointed in her place.

The removal of Zafrin as the provost of the residential hall for female students was one of the principal demands of the students protesting on the campus.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Dipu Moni has spoken to the students protesting at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) demanding the vice-chancellor resign. 

The minister spoke to the protesters through Awami League’s Mymensingh unit Organizing Secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel around 3pm on Friday. 

Several attempts have been made by teachers and guardians to talk to the students, but the students have refused to take part in any discussions or give responses until the VC is removed. 

Sabbir Ahmed, one of the protesters, said most of the students have been suffering from dehydration, muscle cramps, and spasms due to a lack of potassium and sodium in their bodies.

The students have been surviving on saline alone for the last three days.

Despite the extreme cold, the agitated students are still outside the VC's building.