Students of the Department of History at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) continued their protest for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, demanding the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) approval for their department.
Academic and administrative activities, including classes and exams, of all the departments came to a halt as the students locked the administrative and academic buildings.
Nusrat Jahan, a student from the second batch of the Department of History, said they will continue their protest until UGC approves their department.
“Students from the other departments, as well as some of the teachers, are supporting our protest,” she added.
Israt Jahan, a student of the Department of Bangla, said students from 29 departments of the university are in solidarity with the protest as their cause is just.
Prof Dr Md Shahjahan, vice chancellor (in-charge) of the university, said: “It was decided at a UGC meeting that necessary steps will be taken so that the students currently enrolled at the Department of History can properly finish their education. However, we were given the directive to not enroll any new students in the department from the next academic session.
“We are trying to make them understand the situation. The protesting students are saying they will not back down until their demands are met. Classes had to be suspended as teachers could not enter the academic buildings,” the VC added.
Several administrative officers of the university said the protesting students locked the administrative building on Thursday night and did not allow anyone to enter the building since Sunday.
Prof Dr Khondoker Naisruddin, former VC of the university, started the Department of History in 2017 under the Bangabandhu Institute of Liberation War and Bangladesh Studies at BSMRSTU, without taking any approval from the UGC.
On February 6, 2020, it was decided by UGC that new students cannot be admitted to the department.
Current students of the department rejected the decision and started their protest in front of the administrative building of the university the same day, after locking the administrative and academic buildings.
