The University Teachers’ Network has called for a symbolic hunger strike in solidarity with the student movement in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor (VC) Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The University Teachers’ Network is an organisation of teachers from different public universities. Expressing solidarity with the movement of the students of SUST, the organisation will go on a symbolic hunger strike at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla at Dhaka University on Monday.
Samina Lutfa, associate professor of sociology department at Dhaka University, provided this information in a press release sent to the media on behalf of the University Teachers’ Network.
The press release said that the University Teachers’ Association has decided to go on a hunger strike at the base of ‘Aparajeyo Bangla’ of Dhaka University from 12.00pm to 3.00pm on Monday in protest of the attack on the students of SUST for several days, demanding the protection of the students’ lives and their justified demand.
Rushad Faridi, an assistant professor in the economics department at Dhaka University, one of the members of the teachers' network, told Prothom Alo, “The decision whether we will continue our programme or not depends on what happens today.”
The SUST has been in turmoil for the last 11 days. Several students sat on a hunger strike at around 3.00pm on Wednesday as their demands were not met in the first six days of the movement.
Almost all the students on hunger strike are suffering from fever. They barely can talk due to severe weakness. Despite that, they are determined to continue the hunger strike. Some of them have already been hospitalised after falling sick.
The discussion between the education minister and the protesting students did not give any hope. In the wake of the situation that emerged, a meeting was held on Sunday at the initiative of Shahjalal University Teachers’ Association. During the meeting, the agitated student cut off the power supply to the vice-chancellor’s residence.