JU students continue protests demanding VC’s removal

Protesting Jahangirnagar University (JU) teachers and students brought out a rally once again, demanding the removal of Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Farzana Islam for corruption. They also sought justice for an earlier Chhatra League attack on the protesters.

Under the banner of 'Jahangirnagar Against Corruption', the rally started from the Faculty of Social Sciences premises around 1pm yesterday.

Over 100 teachers and students took part in the rally which ended at the Murad Chattar followed by a short gathering after parading through various streets of the university campus.

The protesters said they would opt for a stricter movement if the VC is not removed by December 31.

They also demanded the punishment of the Chhatra League members who attacked the protesters on October 5.

Dr Shamima Sultana of the Bangla department said: “The VC has lost the moral high ground to hold the post of VC after she instigated the attack on teachers and students. She is regularly adopting unfair means being persuaded by a group of teachers. The whole country has witnessed how she used Chhatra League members of JU to attack our peaceful movement."

Spokesperson of the platform 'Jahangirnagar Against Corruption,' Rayhan Rhyne, said: "Our university is an autonomous institution but the VC here cannot move even a single step without the government's instructions.”

“We will go for a tougher movement from January if the corruption allegations against the VC are not investigated by December 31," Rhyne added.

Demanding the immediate removal of VC Farzana Islam, Bangladesh Students’ Union JU branch Executive Member Rakibul Haque Rony said: “The news of corruption in the construction of the girls' dormitory was exposed recently. The VC is becoming more corrupt day by day despite the government's zero tolerance policy against corruption.”

"We doubt if even Tk100 crore from the allotted Tk1445.36 crore will be spent for the university's development," he added.

The government allotted Tk1445.36 crore for the JU development project in 2018.

Numerous students and teachers started protesting, demanding the removal of the VC after she allegedly gave Tk2 crore from that allotted money to Chhatra League.

In another development, there was a demonstration by the JU wing of the Bangladesh General Students' Rights Protection Council (BGSRPC), protesting the attack on Dhaka University Central Students' Union Vice President Nurul Haque Nur and other activists of BGSRPC, carried out by leaders of Muktijuddho Mancha.