Protesting BCL faction suspends blockade at CU

An aggrieved faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League's (BCL) Chittagong University (CU) unit lifted its indefinite blockade on Tuesday, following an assurance from the deputy education minister, reports UNB.

Members of the BCL faction had been protesting the exclusion of their leaders from the new committee since Monday.

"We have decided to stop the movement after getting an assurance from deputy minister for education, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel," the protesting faction told reporters on the campus.

Earlier around 12:00pm, the leaders of the protesting faction opened the main gate of the university near zero point of the campus.

"We have suspended our ongoing protest honouring the assurance from our leader, Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel. He will discuss the matter with central BCL leaders and hopefully dedicated and qualified leaders will get berths in the committee,” said Shakhawat Hossain, one of the leaders of the protesting group.

After three years, the full committee of the CU unit of BCL was announced on Sunday.

On Monday, BCL activists, who didn't get any post in the new committee, enforced the blockade programme, halting classes and exams of the university.

The agitated students demanded the reconstitution of the committee as well as the removal of Mohammad Ilyas from the post of joint general secretary, accusing him of drug peddling.

The CU shuttle train service also came to a halt due to the alleged abduction of three staffers, including the loco master. Railway authorities have refused to operate shuttle trains, citing safety concerns.