The crisis at Jahangirnagar University has deepened, as a large number of agitating teachers, under the banner of the General Teachers' Forum, have kept the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Anwar Hossain, confined to his room from Wednesday morning till the time of filing of this report on Thursday evening. They are demanding his resignation. Defining the teachers’ demand as illogical, the VC has sought the intervention of President Abdul Hamid, who is also the Chancellor of JU, to resolve the crisis. Dr Hossain has faxed a message to the President describing the prevailing situation.
The VC also demanded that the government set up a judicial probe team to find out whether the teachers are justified in demanding his resignation.
On the other hand, teachers are divided over the issue of the VC’s resignation.
The General Teachers’ Forum has declared its intention to continue with the agitation till the VC resigned. Other two teachers' organisations, the Shikkhak Mancha and the Sadharan Shikkhak Porisod, feel that the movement has no ethical ground and does not have mass acceptability.
At a press conference at 4.30 pm, the Teachers’ Forum announced a three-day strike, besides continuing with the blockade of the VC's office.
Prof Hanif Ali, convener of the Forum, said: “The VC has failed to solve the problem. We gave him enough time, but he betrayed us.”
Secretariat member of the Forum, Prof Kamrul Ahsan, pointed out that Dr Hossain has not got the minimum acceptability at the JU, as he has failed to perform since his appointment last year.
The only way to resolve the crisis is resignation of the VC, executive member of the General Teachers’ Forum, Jamal Uddin, said.
The agitating teachers also accused the VC of being involved in anomalies in the admission process and appointment of teachers. He was destroying the campus environment by taking up unnecessary projects and misusing university funds.
No classes and scheduled examinations were held at most of the departments on Thursday for the third consecutive day.
The VC said: “I am ready to sacrifice my life in the interest of 15,000 students.” Condemning the teachers’ demand and terming it as “illogical”, he urged the university Chancellor, President Abdul Hamid, and the High Court to intervene in the matter. The teachers have violated the court’s stay order, he held. The leftist teachers’ body, the Sikkhak Mancha convener, Professor Nasim Akthar Hussain, addressed the press conference at the university social science lounge. Among others, Prof Rayhan Rayne, Shadhin Sen and Anicha Parvin Joly were present.
Professor Hussain said: “Teachers have not allowed the VC to solve the problems. Their movement is illogical and baseless. Some of the teachers have been rallying against the VC for the last couple of days to create instability on the campus.”
It may be mentioned that Prof Hussain played a key role in forcing the then VC, Prof Shariff Enamul Kabir, to step down last year.
The Shadharon Sikkhak Porishod addressed a press conference at about 3.30 pm at the new arts faculty lounge about the campus stalemate.
Prof Sohel Ahmed addressed the press conference and termed the teachers’ movement against the VC as unethical. Resignation is not the solution, he said and urged all to save the university.
The VC will have to spend the night in his office. He was allowed to have homemade food and a physician is by his side for health check-ups at regular intervals.
The agitators said they would not stop anyone from communicating with the VC on humanitarian grounds.
Dr Biren Kumar Biswas of the JU medical centre said:“His health is stable despite high blood pressure and diabetics.”
The teachers have been staging protests since April 27, demanding resignation of the VC, accusing him of not taking punitive measures against the Bangladesh Chhatra League university unit general secretary, Razib Ahmed Rasel, for assaulting economics department lecturer Nurul Haque, also a syndicate member, on April 6.
On July 30, the Jahangirnagar University Teachers’ Association suspended the agitation following a High Court directive to maintain a status quo at the university. Later, in a change in strategy, the protests began under the banner of the General Teachers’ Forum.