12 SUST students hospitalised on third day of hunger strike

SHAHJALAL UNIVERSITY (Sylhet), Jan 21 (UNB): Twelve of the 24 students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on an indefinite hunger strike since Wednesday have been hospitalised till Friday.

The 24 students embarked on fast-unto-death on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the resignation of the university's Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed.

In the past two days, most of the protesting students have fallen sick, the news agency learnt.

While twelve of them have been hospitalised after their blood sugar levels dropped, remaining all were being given intravenous saline at the venue.

One more left the venue in the early hours of Friday as his relative fell sick.

The protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down.

In the small hours of Friday, the protesting students also brought out a torch rally and burnt the effigy of the V-C on the campus.

Hours back, a delegation of teachers met the students and requested them to break their fast. But the students didn't respond to their request.

On Monday, the protesting students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, who is the Chancellor of the university, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.

The students also rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the directive to leave the halls. Currently, the students are staying on the campus.

SUST was to close, following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on Sunday. Its students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12pm on Monday.

Provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, Zafrin Ahmed, was at the centre of the trouble, having reportedly misbehaved with some students.

She has already resigned from her post, citing health issues.

Dr Nazia Chowdhury of the Physics department has been appointed in her place.

The removal of Zafrin as the provost of the residential hall for female students was one of the principal demands of the students protesting on the campus.

Another report of UNB adds: Education Minister Dipu Moni on Friday spoke to the agitating students of SUST asking them to try to end the impasse.

She talked to the students over the phone at around 3.10 pm.

During the conversation, she said she would look into the issue. She wants a peaceful solution to the issue as soon as possible and is willing to talk to students directly if they want.

The protesting students have also expressed interest in meeting the minister.

However, in the afternoon the students said they would continue to protest even if the campus is declared closed.

Earlier, a group of Bangladesh Awami League leaders led by its central committee's organising secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel spoke separately with the students and VC Prof Farid Uddin regarding the issue.