In support of six demands, students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) continued their blockade of railway tracks for the second consecutive day, holding a protest rally.
At around 12pm on Tuesday, they blocked the railway tracks at Jabbar Mor on the BAU campus.
The students announced that they would continue their blockade until senior authorities of the university came forward to hold talks with them. As a result, train services on the Dhaka-Mymensingh route remain suspended.
Earlier, rejecting the closure of BAU and the order to vacate halls, the students blocked the tracks on Monday afternoon, putting forward six demands.
The illegal order to vacate halls must be withdrawn and fully cancelled by 2pm.
All ongoing facilities and services in the halls must continue without interruption.
The proctorial body must resign within 24 hours due to failure in ensuring student safety and alleged support for external groups in attacks on students.
The vice chancellor must issue a public apology for crude bomb explosions, vandalism of libraries and installations, attacks on students with local weapons, and harassment of female students by outsiders.
Strict and exemplary punishment must be ensured for teachers and outsiders involved in the attacks.
The long-pending demand for a unified combined degree must be implemented immediately; maintaining three separate degrees is unacceptable.
The protesting students issued an ultimatum for their six demands to be met by 2pm.
In the morning, students from various halls, carrying sticks, brought out a procession and gathered near KR Market. As their demands were not accepted by 2pm, they initiated the rail blockade.
On Sunday, from 9am, students of the Faculty of Veterinary Science and the Faculty of Animal Husbandry began gathering near Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium.
At 11am, the Academic Council began an emergency meeting at the same auditorium to discuss the combined degree issue. The council decided that the university would continue with three degrees: BSc in Animal Husbandry, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and the combined degree coordinated between the two faculties. However, the students refused to accept three degrees. They insisted on “One profession, one degree, combined degree.”
As the council decision was not in their favour, at around 1:30pm, agitated students locked the auditorium, confining all university teachers, including the vice chancellor. More than 250 teachers were held for 6–7 hours, after which the Academic Council held a second meeting.
At one stage, Mymensingh Deputy Commissioner Mofidul Alam and members of law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene. Shortly after, a group of outsiders carrying sticks chased the protesting students, forcing them to retreat slightly. The outsiders carried out attacks and vandalism, including on the central library.
During the attacks, the teachers and administrative officials confined inside the auditorium managed to leave safely through the back door. Several crude bombs were heard exploding. A number of students, including a female student, were injured in the attack with local weapons.
After the outsiders left following the vandalism and rampage, the protesters resumed demonstrations, launching fresh attacks on Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium and the vice chancellor’s office. The clashes, vandalism, and chaos lasted for about an hour, leaving the campus tense since then.
BAU Proctor Professor Dr Alimuzzaman said the university authorities had formed an investigation committee into the attacks on students by outsiders. Legal steps would be taken based on the committee’s report.
He also said the university authorities were sincere about implementing the students’ demands, but they needed time.
