Students on Hunger Strike Adamant, Rejects Teachers' Discussion Offer

Students on hunger strike demanding the resignation of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice-Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed. They have rejected the teachers' offer of discussion.

On Wednesday (January 19) at 9:15 pm, more than a hundred teachers of the university, led by SUST Treasurer Prof. Dr. Anwarul Islam, approached the students on hunger strike in front of the Vice Chancellor's residence. They offered to break the fast and talk to the students.

But the students want to know the answer to whether they agree with the demand for the resignation of the vice chancellor. However, the students did not give the teachers a chance to speak as they did not respond to the demand for resignation. After about two and a half hours, the teachers left the hunger strike.

Since the police raid on the students last Sunday (January 16), the students have been demanding the resignation of the Proctorial Body and the Director of Student Advice and Guidance, including VC Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, as well as the withdrawal of the case filed by the police. As no resignation was announced, 24 students started a hunger strike from 3 pm on Wednesday and announced that they would continue their hunger strike till VC's resignation.

Dipanbita Brishti, a student on hunger strike, fell ill at around 11 pm during a hunger strike that started at 2.50 pm yesterday. She later resumed her fast after taking first aid at Mount Edora Hospital.

Apart from the treasurer of the university, a syndicate member, dean of the faculty, head of the department and more than a hundred teachers including the head of the department came in front of the VC's residence from 9:15 pm last night. When they came to the hunger strike Mancha, they expressed sympathy with the students and tried to talk to them. But the students did not listen to the teachers as they did not agree on the resignation of the VC.

The students said they would listen to the teachers and discuss if they agreed to the VC's resignation.

When the Treasurer Prof. Dr. Anwarul Islam and the President of the Teachers' Association Prof. Dr. Tulsi Kumar Das and other senior teachers tried to speak, the students started chanting various slogans to prevent themselves from listening.