Confined Teachers-Officials of Rabindra University Released after 10 Hours

Teachers, officers and employees of Rabindra University in Sirajganj, who were confined by the protesting students of the university, were released after 10 hours with the help of police intervention. About 30 people, including university teachers, registers and officials, were released late Sunday night (October 24) after being confined.

Farhana Yasmin Baten, the chairman of the department, was accused of cutting off the hair of 16 students of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies on September 26. Students protesting against the permanent expulsion of Farhana Baten. However, the authorities said that there is nothing to do outside the rules.

Later, on Sunday (October 24) morning, the agitated students blocked the road and started agitation. Raushan Alam, a teacher in charge of the university's proctor, said the students confined the university teachers, registers and other officials when they went to the academic building to discuss the situation with the students.

He said the protesters locked the academic building for about 10 hours without listening to them. At that time, when a teacher fell ill, they were released after 2 pm.

Students of Rabindra University's Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies Department have been protesting since September 28 over the incident of cutting the hair of 14 students. However, the protesters withdrew from the movement on October 2 on the assurance of the university authority.

The investigation report was discussed at a meeting of the university syndicate on Friday after the investigation report was submitted last Thursday. But after the meeting ended without any decision about the accused teacher, the students started agitation again from Friday night. Seven of the protesters started a hunger strike at that time.

Asked about the ongoing volatile situation, University Registrar Mohammad Sohrab Ali said, "It is a legal process. The students are trying to move with emotion without understanding anything, so the situation is not going to be controlled. The investigation report was discussed at the syndicate meeting. Necessary steps will be taken in this regard by amending the law. The university authorities are working for this.

A team of the University Grants Commission (UGC) will visit Rabindra University on October 27 to monitor and investigate the ongoing situation, university sources said.