Dinajpur Haji Mohammad Danesh University of Science and Technology Students held a ‘symbolic hunger strike’ to demand the appointment of a non-partisan and international quality vice-chancellor. This program started on Saturday around 5 pm on the road in front of the main gate of the university. Earlier on Friday afternoon at the same place, another section of students formed a human chain to appoint the senior teacher of their university as the vice-chancellor.
Kawsar Ahmed of Veterinary Faculty, Tofazzal Hossain of Statistics Department, Sujan Islam of Economics Department, Faisal Ahmed etc. spoke in the hunger strike program today.
Kawsar Ahmed said in his speech, “After the student uprising, the dream of ordinary students was to have an education-friendly and research-friendly campus. But it has not happened in the last one and a half months. Even the Vice-Chancellor has not been appointed. We common students want a Vice-Chancellor who occasionally walks the campus roads without a four-wheeler. Who will sit with the students at least one day a month at TSC. We do not want a ‘puppet’ of any political identity as vice-chancellor, be it a current teacher of the university or from an outside university. Do not want the bearer of nepotism. We want a qualified educator of international standards. His main aim will be academic development rather than nepotism, partisanship or holding any particular group.
Sujan Islam, one of the students who led the anti-discrimination student movement (there is no coordination committee here), said, “It is very important to appoint a vice-chancellor in the university.” Ordinary students made 9-point demands including reducing tuition fees, increasing residential facilities, transport facilities. There is no progress in implementing those demands as the vice chancellor has not been appointed. Almost everyone who has recently been assigned a principal in the residence halls is affiliated with some group. Apart from this, 25 people have been appointed from one faculty against 27 administrative posts. That is visible discrimination. In this case, the current administration did not feel the need to have any kind of discussion with the student representatives. We want a vice-chancellor of international standards. If the teacher is from our own campus after reviewing the education advisor, we have no objection.
However, some students and a teacher on condition of anonymity said that the last 2 vice-chancellors were from other universities. They spend their entire time understanding the structure and environment of the university. They run the campus with a special constituency for their own interests. As a result, there is a division between teachers-officers-employees. If a senior teacher of this university is appointed as the Vice-Chancellor, he/she will be aware of the internal environment, culture and needs of the students. As Vice Chancellor it will also be easy for him to solve any problem at the earliest. You can also take long-term plans regarding the university.
Today’s ‘Symbolic Fast’ program ended around 6:30 PM. After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, almost all those in administrative duties including the vice-chancellor, proctor, student advisor, hall superintendent resigned. On August 29, the Ministry of Education ordered that a senior professor be given temporary administrative and financial responsibilities in consultation with the Dean’s Council and department chairmen of the university until a regular vice-chancellor is appointed. Hasan Fuad Eltaz, professor of entomology department of the university, got the responsibility on September 3.