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.

A three-member ministerial team, led by Education Minister Dipu Moni, arrived in Sylhet Friday morning to hold talks with the protesting students of the coveted Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST). The SUST students resumed their protests Wednesday, after their demand for the removal of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed was not met. Apart from Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed are part of the team, that's slated to hold meetings with the students, teachers and different SUST organisations between 4pm and 7pm. Also read: Dipu Moni to visit SUST Friday as protests resume Their aim is to diffuse the ongoing crisis on the university campus, UNB has learnt. The three ministers will depart for capital Dhaka on a late-night domestic flight.

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 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

Now twelve  of the 24 students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on an indefinite hunger strike since Wednesday have been hospitalised till Friday. The 24 students embarked on fast-unto-death on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the resignation of the university's Vice-Chancellor. In the past two days, most of the protesting students have fallen sick, UNB has learnt. While Twelve of them have been hospitalised after their blood sugar levels dropped, remaining all were being given intravenous saline at the venue. One more left the venue in the early hours of Friday as his relative fell sick. Also read: SUST students ‘fall sick’ on 2nd day of hunger strike; one hospitalised

Twenty-four students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), who went on a hunger strike unto death on Wednesday demanding their Vice-Chancellor’s resignation, reportedly fell sick on Thursday with one of them being hospitalised. Among them, Kajal Das was taken to a hospital in Sylhet city around 1:30 pm as he fell seriously sick. The agitating students vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down. Besides, a delegation of teachers came to the students around 8:45 pm on Wednesday and requested them to break their fast. Also read: 24 SUST students go on hunger strike

The wave of protests against the Vice-Chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has reached the Dhaka University campus. On Thursday morning, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal took out a rally on the DU campus, demanding the resignation of SUST V-C Professor Farid Uddin and the withdrawal of a police case filed against the protesting students of the university. Read:24 SUST students go on hunger strike Referring to the arrest of retired Professor Tajmeri Islam (considered pro-BNP) at the rally, Chhatra Dal president Fazlur Rahman Khokon said, "We have seen that she was sent to jail in a false case." "And earlier, Professor Morshed was sacked just for subscribing to nationalist ideology. University teachers and students are being tortured this way," he added. Read: 300 SUST students sued over clash with cops Fazlur also came down heavily on the SUST V-C and the police for booking the students protesting on their campus. "We demand the withdrawal of the case immediately." "Moreover, if the SUST V-C does not resign, the students will embark on a movement demanding the resignation of the government," he added.

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.