The free medical support for the protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has been withdrawn.
According to the students, the mobile phone numbers of some of the protesters -- specifically those used for mobile financial services -- have also been deactivated.
The students embarked on fast-unto-death on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of SUST vice-chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed over police crackdown on the varsity students.
“A medical team from Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College that had been voluntarily providing services to those on hunger strike from January 19, withdrew their services on Monday night,” said the protesting students at a press meet on Tuesday morning.
Also read: SUST protest: Proctor-led team fails to reach food, medicines to embattled VC
Most of the 27 students on hunger strike are suffering from low blood pressure, low blood sugar levels and convulsions, and the sudden withdrawal of the medical support could pose serious risks to their health, they said, quoting a senior hospital doctor.
However, a doctor arrived at the protest site on his own later in the morning to offer medical support to the students.
The students also expressed their displeasure over the suspension of mobile phone services of a few protesters.
A total of six Rocket, Nagad, bkash and bank accounts have become inaccessible. The phone numbers used to access them have been seemingly disabled.
“When we contacted the customer care centres of our mobile operators, we were told to get in touch with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC),” said Ariful Islam, one of the protesting students.