A six-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the recent unrest at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), including the reported confinement of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. A K Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan and nearly 250 teachers inside an auditorium for nearly eight hours and incidents of vandalism.

The committee was constituted on Tuesday on the directive of BAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. AKM Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, according to an official order signed by Acting Registrar Agriculturist Dr. Helal Uddin.

Professor Md. Rafiqul Islam Sardar, Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries and President of the BAU Teachers' Association, has been appointed as the head of the committee. Dr. Md. Manjur Hossain, Deputy Registrar of Establishment Branch-2, will serve as the member secretary.

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Other members of the committee are Prof Dr. Mohammad Golzarul Aziz, Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Prof Dr. Kazi Farhad Qadir, Prof Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman Khan, Department of Agricultural Finance and Banking, Muh. Enamul Haque, Additional Chief Engineer, Public Works Department-1.

The committee has been instructed to submit its findings and recommendations as soon as possible.

According to the order, the unrest stems from a memorandum submitted on August 7 by students of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Faculty, demanding a combined degree to enhance their job prospects.

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In response, the Vice Chancellor formed a separate committee on August 12 to address the issue.

The recommendations from that committee were presented at an emergency Academic Council meeting on August 31, attended by 251 faculty members.

Based on those recommendations, the council unanimously decided to award three degrees, aiming to meet the students’ demands and resolve the issue.