This time, students are warned of a South Bengal shutdown!

The student movement has become violent again at Barisal University. This time, the students of the Management Studies Department have also expressed solidarity with the demand for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Suchita Sharmin and warned of a strict program.

At a press conference on the ground floor of the university at 1:30 pm on Sunday (May 4), student Arafat Baktiar Shuvo said on behalf of the department,

"Even after being deprived of our fair rights for a long 24 hours, our reasonable demands have not been met. As per the previously announced program, we are declaring solidarity with the ongoing movement. If the demands are not met, the entire South Bengal will be shut down."

The students allege that the Vice-Chancellor has appointed controversial teachers to several administrative positions in a biased manner since taking charge. There are allegations of fascist and authoritarian behavior against these accused teachers.

They also said, “Despite making many demands, the administration has remained silent. Rather, cases have been filed against the students to quell the movement.”

The students said that although 22 demands were previously presented to the Vice-Chancellor, none of them have been implemented in the last six months. It is particularly noteworthy that no one has been brought to justice in the attack on the protesting students last July.

The protesters also said that the application for medical assistance of a cancer-stricken student of the university has been waiting for the Vice-Chancellor’s signature for five months, which they mentioned as a big example of the administration’s inhumanity.

They said, “The university is a democratic institution. There is no room for an administrator with an autocratic attitude here. If the Vice-Chancellor does not resign, we will paralyze the entire South Bengal.”

On the other hand, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Suchita Sharmin assured a solution through discussions on the students’ demands at a press conference organized at her residence at 11:30 am today.

It is worth noting that earlier on November 30, students went on a protest demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor. Later, they suspended the protest after setting a deadline of one month through a meeting.

The situation is getting increasingly heated - if the Vice-Chancellor does not resign, South Bengal may actually see a shutdown this time.