Teachers’ rally under attack

Unidentified criminals, allegedly Bangladesh Chhatra League activists, yesterday attacked teachers and students of Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur in which seven teachers sustained burn injures from battery acid.

The public university was closed sine die following the incident.

Tuhin Wadud, a lecturer of Bangla department, and Motiur Rahman, associate professor of management department, were admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital with acid-burn injuries to their eyes and face.

The other teachers received minor injuries.

Sources said the teachers and students of the university were on a movement demanding resignation of its vice-chancellor accusing him of being corrupt. They had a sit-in programme scheduled for yesterday in front of the administration building.

However, when they went there yesterday morning, they saw a stage with a Chhatra League banner for observing the return of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the country on January 10, 1972.

The teachers and students then started to move towards the academic building but the unidentified young men ambushed them. The attackers vandalised the loud speakers and destroyed its battery.

The battery acid got into the eyes of the two teachers and injured others.

Golam Mostafa, director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, said outer edges of their eyes and faces of the two teachers were burnt but they were out of danger.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers did not belong to the university but they chanted slogans of Bangladesh Chhatra League.

Injured teacher Tuhin Wadud said, “We know that the corrupt vice chancellor engaged a huge number of criminals to throttle the movement of the teachers and the students. Despite that, we continued with our movement.”

Students said the criminals, allegedly engaged by the vice-chancellor, also tried to obstruct them at different points in the city so that they could not join the movement on campus.

However, Rangpur district President of Chhatra League Dhanajit Ghosh Tapos told The Daily Star, “There is no committee [of Chhatra League] at Begum Rokeya University. So no Chhatra League men could be involved in the attack.”

Regarding the banner, he said, “It could be a trick of the VC and his associates.”

Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Jalil Miah was in Dhaka and treasurer of the university Prof Mozammel Hoque was in charge.

The vice-chancellor returned to the campus last night and closed the university.

The students and teachers had gone for a fast-unto-death programme yesterday. They were sitting at a gate on the southern part of the campus until the university was closed.

However, Omar Faruk, lecturer of accounting and information system department, had earlier told The Daily Star that they would continue their programme until their demands were met and the VC had stepped down.

Secretary Safiul Azam of Progressive Teachers Forum of the university told The Daily Star, “The anti-VC demonstration is unlawful and unjustified.” Majority of the teachers were not behind the movement, he claimed.

Rangpur Secretary Rezaul Karim Raju of ruling Awami League, of which many consider Chhatra League to be a part of, visited the campus in the afternoon and expressed solidarity with the teachers and students who had been attacked.

Source: The Daily Star