Students lock offices of six ‘AL-aligned’ deans at RU, demand removal

Tension escalated at Rajshahi University on Sunday as students locked the offices of six deans, alleging that they continue to hold office despite the expiry of their tenures and their affiliation with the ruling Awami League (AL).

The incident occurred around 12:30 pm, when a group of students gathered at the Deans' Complex and padlocked the concerned offices, demanding the immediate removal of the deans. Demonstrators chanted slogans criticising what they described as 'partisan influence' in university administration and warned against the continued presence of Awami League (AL)-aligned officials on the campus.

Speaking at the protest, RUCSU Cultural Affairs Secretary Zahid Hasan Joha said students were united against a resurgence of 'authoritarian and partisan forces' within the university. He stated that although students had refrained from protesting before the expiry of the deans' terms, their continuation in office afterward was 'unethical' and undermined the spirit of the July movement and its associated sacrifices.