SUST students' 7-day hunger strike ends

• Measures against SUST movement inhuman, says Prof Zafar Iqbal

• 5 former SUST students get bail

• PHQ to scrutinize police roles in SUST campus

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) have ended their hunger strike aimed at demanding removal of the university vice chancellor.

The students drank water to break their fast at the request of DrMuhammed Zafar Iqbal, a former teacher of the university, at around 10am on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the renowned writer and his wife Dr Yasmeen Haque, who is also a former teacher of Sust, reached the university campus and requested the students to call off their fast-unto-death.

In response, the students agreed to drink water together in the morning and break their fast.

Over 20 students of the university had been on a hunger strike since January 19 demanding immediate removal of Sust VC Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed.

Sust students have been holding protests since January 13, initially only demanding the resignation of Zafrin Ahmed, provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall.

Zafrin, who had been accused of misbehaving with some students, later resigned from her post, citing health issues in the face of protests. Her removal as provost of the residential hall for female students was one of the principal demands of the students protesting on the campus.

However, the students carried on with their protests after police charged batons and fired rubber bullets at them on January 16.

Measures against Sust movement inhuman, says Prof Zafar Iqbal

The measures taken to suppress the movement by the students of Sust were inhuman, cruel, and barbaric, said DrMuhammed Zafar Iqbal.

Providing medical support to the agitating students was a necessity because it was not a violent agitation, The retired Sust teacher observed. 

The authorities not only stripped the students of their right to medical care, but also moved out a number of agitating students from the spot, he added.

The authorities also shut down the dining halls, cafeteria and food shops around the campus. The cooks of the residential halls were asked to stop preparing meals, resulting in food shortage, Prof Zafar Iqbal further lamented.

“I cannot comprehend how they can show such brutality to agitating students in the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence,” he said. 

The eminent educationist also demanded that the cases filed against students be withdrawn immediately.

"I have been assured by the top government officials that the students' demands will be met. I hope they'll keep their word,” he added.

5 former SUST students get bail

A Sylhet court on Wednesday granted bail to five former students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) who were detained from Dhaka on Monday for donating financial assistance to the demonstrators.

Metropolitan Magistrate MdSumonBhuiyan granted their bail after a hearing in the afternoon, reports our Sylhet correspondent quoting Khokon Chandra Sarker, assistant commissioner (prosecution) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police.

The former students -- Reza Noor Muin, Habibur Rahman Khan, AFM NazmusSakib Dip, AKM Maruf Hossain, and Faisal Ahmed -- were arrested by CID and later handed over to SMP on Tuesday.

Among them, AFM NazmusSakib Dip was admitted to Shamsuddin Ahmed Hospital after he was diagnosed with Covid-19, said BM Ashraf UllahTaher, additional deputy commissioner (media) of SMP.

Later that night, Sujat Ahmed Layek, organising secretary of Bangladesh Tanti League's Sylhet district unit, filed a case with Jalalabad Police Station accusing the five and 150 unidentified persons.

According to the case statement, the arrestees and other protesting students violated the vice-chancellor's executive order of closing the university and gathered in front of his residence by confining him at his house.

It also stated that the named accused financed the demonstration with ill motives and also posted derogatory words against the vice-chancellor on Facebook.

The plaintiff Sujat said, "Financing a movement is a serious offence and the financiers, and the demonstrators, are Jamaat-Shibir men. I filed the case as a concerned citizen."

PHQ to scrutinize police roles in SUST campus

Police Headquarters is scrutinizing the role of the members of Sylhet Metropolitan Police on Shahjalal University of Science and Technology campus as the protesting students there blamed police for attacking them.

Responding to questions, PHQ deputy inspector general for media and operation Haider Ali said that they were looking into the force members’ role on the campus and would take actions if the allegations were found true during investigation.

Haider Ali was briefing journalists at Rajarbagh Police Lines auditorium in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on police week activities and meetings.

The police officer, however, refrained from answering a question on detaining five former students of SUST for donating money to the protesting students.

Five former students of SUST were detained by the Criminal Investigation Department of police on Monday and kept in a police station in Sylhet for over 24 hours without bringing any formal charge.

Police, however, claimed that the five youths sent money to the protestors using mobile financial service.

Responding to a question whether donating money was a crime and whether SUST former professor Zafar Iqbal’s donating Tk 10,000 to students was a crime, DIG Haider said, ‘It is subject to investigation. Actions would be taken if specific allegations are found against anyone.’

The police officer said that PHQ had so far fired 37 force members for their involvement in drugs and failing dope tests.

Departmental actions were taken and underway against many other force members, the DIG said.

He, however, could not specify how many members were facing departmental actions and ranks of the terminated members.

Haider said that police was the first government agency to introduce dope tests for the personnel and officials, and at recruitment stage.

Earlier on the day, police inspector general Benazir Ahmed held a meeting with different unit chief ranking from district police superintendents to DIG and metropolitan police commissioners.

Haider said that the meeting highlighted capacity building of the police personnel to deal with cybercrimes cases in the coming years.

‘Crimes involving technology and artificial intelligence would be challenges in coming years. Police officials discussed to establish specialized cyber police unit to tackle the crimes,’ said DIG Haider.

Strengthening Highway Police for providing better service and security, facilitating smooth transporting were emphasized by the officials, he said.