Making his first public appearance of note since students started a campaign to remove him, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed on Monday pledged to make the institution "100% student-friendly". SUST VC said this while attending a celebration for the 31st founding anniversary of SUST at Gol Chattar area in the campus. He said, ”We have come out of the things that were embarrassing for the university with everyone’s joint effort and regained our honour. SUST has 99.99 percent of good governance that a university should have.” Also read: SUST to resume classes online from Tuesday “Students can make mistakes but teachers will have to be forgiving towards them. We teachers will always support the students,” he added.

The students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have suspended their movement on Saturday following a meeting with Education Minister Dipu Moni. They urged the university authorities to resume the classes and examinations. The students made the announcement at 7 pm at a press briefing on the SUST campus. “The meeting with the education minister and the deputy education minister was successful and as the minister has assured us of fulfilling all our demands, we’re suspending the movement for now. We’ll be waiting to see our demands are met,” said Mohaiminul Islam Raj, spokesperson of the protesting students. The students have discussed their six-point demand and some proposals for the overall development of all the universities of the country, he said. Also read: SUST VC finally apologises over cop attack on students “We’re urging the university authorities to resume classes and examinations from Sunday,” he said. Earlier in the day, Vice-Chancellor of SUST Farid Uddin Ahmed expressed regret over the police action on protesting students on January 16. “I express my sincere sympathy to all of those, including students, teachers and staff injured in the unwanted incident on that day,” he said in a press statement. On Friday, regarding the student’s demand of VC’s resignation Dipu Moni said it will be placed before the President as he is the Chancellor of the university, holding the power to appoint and remove someone from the post of VC. Regarding the two cases filed against the protesting students, she said arrangements will be made to withdraw those cases as soon as possible. Also, the mobile banking accounts and numbers of students that were shut during the protest will be reactivated within a few days, said Dipu Moni to the protesting students at the meeting. Also read: Removal of VC up to President Hamid: Dipu Moni to SUST students Dipu Moni also assured that proper treatment will be provided to Sajal Kunda who was injured in police firing and a government job appointment for him, said the students at the briefing. The students resumed their protests on Wednesday after their demand for the removal of VC was not met. They are now calling for the resignation of the new proctor. SUST Proctor Md Alamgir Kabir was relieved from his position on Thursday and replaced by Associate Professor Md Ishrat Ibne Ismail of the English department. The protests began in the middle of January. And over two dozen SUST students who went on fast unto death ended their strike on January 26. They broke the fast after former SUST Prof Zafar Iqbal offered them water to drink. The students embarked on the hunger strike on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of the VC over the police crackdown on their fellows. The strike was launched after police swooped on the protesting students, charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets. On the other hand, the police had filed a case against 300 unnamed protesting students. The alleged attack was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university’s IICT building, and it had left 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and cops.  Zafrin Ahmed, a provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints. She later resigned from her post, citing health issues.

Vice-Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Farid Uddin Ahmed expressed regret over the police action on protesting students on January 16. “I express my sincere sympathy to all of those, including students, teachers and staff injured in the unwanted incident on that day,” he said in a press statement. The statement reads: “I express my sincere regret over the incident and I also express my gratitude to the teachers, students and staff who are trying to overcome the stalemate.” The VC expressed regret a day after Education Minister Dipu Moni visited the university on Saturday. Read: Now SUST students want removal of new proctor Farid Uddin Ahmed also thanked deputy education minister, the government officials concerned, Awami League leaders and members of law enforcement agencies, media workers who played a responsible role in restoring normalcy on the campus. The VC also urged all to play their role in restoring the normal academic atmosphere and normal activities on the campus. On Friday, the SUST agitating students reiterated their demand for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin at their meeting with Education Minister Dipu Moni.

The agitating students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have reiterated their demand for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin in their meeting with Education Minister Dipu Moni. Dipu said that demand for the resignation of the VC will be presented to the president as he, also the Chancellor of the university, holds the power to appoint and remove someone in the post of VC. The students raised a total of eight demands during the three-hour meeting with the education minister at the Circuit House in Sylhet on Friday. After the meeting, Dipu told reporters, "We have listened to them attentively during the discussions." "However, some of the demands of the students have already been met. Their main demand is the resignation or removal of the VC," she added. The other demands made by the students- start of classes and examinations, withdrawal of cases against students, opening of closed mobile banking accounts of more than 250 students, provision of one-time financial assistance to student Sajal Kunda who was injured in police firing and confirmation of ninth grade job for him, recruit Md Zafar Iqbal and Yasmin Haque as Emeritus Professors, increase the budget for research in all universities, implementation of coding system in examination system, introduction of recruitment process on the basis of PhD and demo class in teacher recruitment. Apart from Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed were in the meeting with the students, teachers and different SUST organisations. Meanwhile, Dipu Moni advised Farid Uddin Ahmed to fulfill his responsibilities as the VC of SUST, said SUST Registrar Md Ishfaqul Hussain. He also said the minister called upon the teachers to restore normalcy on campus during the talks. The education minister also informed that the allegations made by students against the VC are being investigated, said SUST Treasurer Anwarul Islam.

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.

The hunger strike by some students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) demanding the Vice-Chancellor’s resignation entered the sixth day on Monday with no sign of ending the stalemate in sight. On Sunday afternoon, four more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike taking their total number to 27. The unrest at the university deepened on Sunday evening as its protesting students disconnected electricity supply to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence as he refused to step down as per their demand. On day five of the hunger strike, 15 of the 24 students on hunger strike since Wednesday 3 pm remained admitted to different hospitals in the city. Earlier, one of the 24 hunger-strikers had to withdraw from the strike due to his relative’s sickness. The students went on the strike unto death demanding resignation of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed following the police action on the protesting students as his behest on January 16. The police charged batons, fired sound grenades and shotgun bullets to disperse the protest on Sunday afternoon (Jan 16) while students reacted by throwing brick chips at them. At least 40 people were hurt, including teachers, students and police personnel, during the clash. Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed was confined to a locked room by the students for three hours before that. A provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial troubles as she reportedly misbehaved with some students on January 13. She has already resigned from her post, citing health issues.

The unrest at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) deepened on Sunday evening as its protesting students disconnected electricity supply to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence as he refused to step down as per their demand. The students said they disconnected the power supply at 7:20 pm leaving the SUST guesthouse, teacher’s dormitory nearby the VC’s residence in the darkness. On day five of the hunger strike, 15 of the 24 students on hunger strike since Wednesday 3 pm remained admitted to different hospitals in the city. On Sunday afternoon, four more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike taking their total number to 27. Earlier, one of the 24 students had to leave the strike due to his relative’s sickness. Also read: SUST stalemate: Students’ virtual meeting with minister brings no solution yet

As some among them completed day three of a hunger strike, the protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Friday remained resolute around their sole demand: nothing except  the resignation, or otherwise removal of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed can lead to a resolution of the crisis. It was a day when students got to speak with Education Minister Dipu Moni herself, as she reached out to the agitating students over phone at around 3 pm to try and end the impasse. During the conversation, Dipu Moni said she wants a peaceful solution to the issue as soon as possible, and was willing to talk to the students 'directly' - i.e. in-person - over the matter, if they so wish. The protesting students were indeed receptive to the idea of a meeting with the education minister,  and were even willing to travel to Dhaka to meet her.  But in the evening they came away from that position, and said that if the minister wants to solve the problem, she had to visit the SUST premises, or hold the meeting virtually. “We will not go to Dhaka - the discussion will be held in Sylhet, not in Dhaka," said Shahriar Abedin, a spokesperson for the protesters. Read: Rally held at DU in solidarity with SUST students Earlier, a group of Bangladesh Awami League leaders led by its central organizing secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel spoke separately with the students and then Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin regarding the issue. So far, 13 of the 24 SUST students who commenced a hunger strike since Wednesday ohave been hospitalized.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 pf the VC on the campus. Hours before, 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, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed. The president is the chancellor of the university. The students also rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period that came with a directive to leave the halls.  Read: RU suspends in-person classes, but students to remain on campus That came following a clash on the campus between police and protesting students on Sunday (Jan 16). In the wake of the police action on its premises, students were asked to leave their halls of residence by 12pm the next day. By then however, the situation had gone well beyond the control of the authorities. Students rejected the closure notice and not only stayed back on the campus - the next day they organised under a new demand that differentiates the movement since Monday from what happened previously. This renewed movement was organised under one sole demand, that is the resignation of the VC, and nothing has yet worked to convince them to come off it.

The protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have written an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, demanding the immediate removal of the vice-chancellor. A student read out the open letter outside the residence of SUST Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed on Monday morning. The President is the Chancellor of the university. In their letter, the students alleged that the police charged batons and even fired rubber bullets to disperse the protesting students from near the IICT building on Monday at the behest of the university authorities. As many as 40 students were injured in the police action, the letter said. “It is an unprecedented that the students were assaulted by the police at the behest of the university administration, which is against the Constitution. Besides, the students don’t feel safe on the campus under the jurisdiction of the V-C,” it said. Read: Torch procession held at RU in solidarity with students of SUST They also urged the President to order the withdrawal of the additional police force from the campus. Besides, the students of SUST declared the V-C as ‘persona no grata’ on the university campus. In their letter, the students also demanded the direct intervention of the President and installation of "an honest V-C" immediately after ensuring the resignation of the incumbent V-C. Meanwhile, the students continued with their protest for the six consecutive day on Tuesday and rejected the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and direction to leave the halls. Currently the students are staying on the campus and locked the hall gates from inside.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) protesting the police action against them on Sunday today announced its Vice-Chancellor as unwanted on campus. The students also rejected the notice of shutting the university for an indefinite period and direction to leave the halls during a meeting held at Gol Chattar in the campus at 1pm. The students announced they will continue their protest staying on the campus. Also read: SUST students now demanding VC’s resignation From Monday morning, SUST students in protest staged demonstrations demanding the resignation of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed protesting the ‘police action on them’. They started gathering at the campus although the university was declared closed for an indefinite period on Sunday following a clash between students and police.