The agitating teachers of Jahangirnagar University have suspended their stir for removing the Vice Chancellor for 15 days after a long-meeting with the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid..
The meeting was held at the minister’s Minto Road residence in Dhaka on Saturday to end the ongoing stalemate in the JU over the agitations.
With Prof Anwar Hossain confined to his office for a fourth straight day on Saturday, the meeting started at 4:45pm and ended just minutes before 10pm.
After returning to the campus, Hanif Ali, President of the Teachers Forum, the organisation of the protesting teachers, made the announcement to keep their movement in abeyance at around 12pm.
He told reporters that four decisions were taken in the meeting with the minister.
“The decisions are our complaints will be considered, a powerful investigation committee will be formed and the committee will submit its report within 15 days and proper steps to withdraw a writ petition filed against three of our teachers will be taken,” he said.
“The VC is free now. We will not bar him (from going anywhere),” he replied to a question on the confinement of the VC.
Earlier, after the meeting, Nahid said, “We discussed the teachers’ complaints. We’ve tried to assure the teachers on behalf of the government.”
He said a decision to form a neutral investigation committee was also taken in the meeting.
“We’ve requested the teachers to call off their agitation for the sake of the university and the students,” he said.
The protesting teachers accompanied the minister when he spoke to the reporters.
Hanif Ali said, “We’ve been assured on behalf of the government. He (Nahid) has listened to us. We can say the discussion was fruitful.”
When asked whether they would withdraw their agitations, he had promised to clarify that only after returning to the campus.
Vice-Chancellor Anwar Hossain earlier in the day had said he would not resign because he felt teachers’ demand was 'unjust'
A similar meeting was held following the minister’s initiatives after teachers and students started a joint movement to force erstwhile VC Prof Sharif Enamul Kabir to resign nearly one-and-a-half-years ago.
Prof Anwar was appointed to the post on May 17, 2012 following Sharif Enamul’s resignation. Later, he was made permanent through an election.
The supporters of the previous VC were seen to be active in the stir against Anwar.
Meanwhile, students of the university took out a procession and held rallies demanding resumption of classes and examinations on Saturday.
They have also asked the teachers to call off their demonstrations to bring back normalcy at the campus.
Source: bdnews24
