Tubs in the passage of administrative building at Chittagong University lie damaged after Bangladesh Chhatra League activists went on the rampage there on Tuesday. — New Age photo
Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League, ruling Awami League-backed student organisation, on Tuesday vandalised offices and vehicles at Chittagong University, demanding removal of an associate professor within 24 hours.
The BCL activists, led by the suspended CU BCL committee president Mohammed Alamgir Tipu, loyal to Chittagong city mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, also held blockade on the campus from 1:00pm to 2:30pm.
They also vandalised the university administrative building where the university’s vice chancellor office and registrar office are located. They also vandalised some vehicles.
The teacher in question, Md Amir Uddin, an associate professor of Institute of Education and Research of CU, is also the general secretary of Kardata Surakkha Parishad, a platform of establishment owners in Chittagong city, and has been protesting at the new holding tax system proposed by the CCC.
The Tipu-led BCL faction demanded removal of the teacher alleging that he was against the government’s development works.
‘Amir is against the government’s development activities. He has been spreading wrong information among city dwellers about the corporation’s holding tax realisation,’ Tipu told New Age.
‘All his activities are against the government and Sheikh Hasina. We would
continue our movement until his removal,’ he said.
Meanwhile, another BCL faction, led by HM Fazle Rabbi Sujan, general secretary of the suspended committee and loyal to former city mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, gave a 24-hour ultimatum for arrest of those involved in vandalism on the campus.
They brought out a protest procession on the campuses around 3:00pm.
Sujan told New Age that Tipu group’s activities were against the principle of BCL.
‘They committed vandalism and threatened a teacher. Is it BCL’s principle?’ Sujan asked.
He said that they informed central BCL leaders about their [Tipu faction] ‘bad’ activities.
CU vice-chancellor Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury told New Age that they would take action against those involved in vandalism.
He said that they formed a three-member committee to investigate the vandalism and would take action after getting the report.
The IER teacher, Amir Uddin, has been leading city corporation’s establishment owners under the banner of Kardata Surakkha Parishad that announced to besiege the Chittagong City Corporation office on December 4, 2017 protesting at the new system to realise holding tax on the basis of income.
Earlier, CCC used to collect holding tax on the basis of area and price of the establishment and now the corporation has introduced the system of collecting the tax on the basis of income of the individual holding, the corporation officials said.
Following protests against the system, the BCL faction loyal to the incumbent mayor threatened Amir Uddin on Sunday with dire consequence, alleged Amir.
Source: New Age