Protesting teachers and students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) announced on Saturday that the admission test set for February 22 would be blocked until a teacher accused of rape of a female student on the campus was punished and their other demands were met.
Under the banner of Platform Against Oppression they announced this at a press conference at the Teachers Lounge of the new arts building. "If the JU administration does not meet the demands, we will block the admission tests," announced the platforms Member-Secretary Mahfuz Islam Megh. He said, "The members of the drug syndicate are freely roaming on the campus, just due to the JU administrations indifference."
Replying to a question, Prof Sohel Ahmed, an organiser of the platform, said quoting a RAB officials statement regarding the recent rape, that the university proctor and the provost of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall neglected their duty.
"They have no right to hold their positions during the investigation. So, university administration must suspend them in the interest of investigation," said Prof Sohel.
Prof Mafruhi Sattar of the Pharmacy Department expressed disappointment over the university administrations indifference to implement the Syndicates decisions.
He said, "The Syndicate had decided to oust the non-students from halls within five days. But no action has been taken until now." The teachers announced that they will not perform duty during the admission test along with the teacher accused of sexually harassing a female student. They demanded punishment of Mahmudur Rahman Jony an assistant professor of the Public Health and Informatics department and former assistant proctor, accused of sexually harassing a female student promising her a faculty position at the university.
The protesters expressed solidarity with the ongoing movements on the campuses of Dhaka University and Chittagong University over the sexual harassment issues.
Meanwhile, two Chhatra League leaders of the JU unit on Thursday began fast unto death to realise their three-point demand including punishment of those involved in covering the portrait of countrys founding President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the campus with anti-rape graffiti. According to allegations, on February 7, a faction of the JU unit Bangladesh Chhatra Union drew anti-rape graffiti on the portrait of Bangabandhu on the south wall of the universitys new arts faculty building.
