SUST fast-unto-death protestors refuse dialogue proposal

Four Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) students taking part in a fast-unto-death programme demanding resignation of the university's vice-chancellor, have been hospitalised after becoming seriously ill.

Two of them were admitted on Thursday while the other two were admitted on Wednesday night.

Till Thursday evening, 10 protesters fell ill, out of the 24 students staging the fast unto death in front of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed's residence on the campus.

Despite becoming ill, the students said that they would not stop the hunger strike even if they die. They repeatedly turned down proposals made by the university's teachers to sit for a dialogue.

Two protestors, Kajal Das and Maryam Begum, taking part in the hunger strike were admitted to the hospital on Thursday. Eight of the protestors are being administered with intravenous saline at the hunger strike venue on the campus.

Bablu Hossain, a doctor at the hospital where they were admitted, said the condition of Kajal and Maryam was stable.

Physical condition of the 24 agitating students began to deteriorate on Thursday morning due to starvation and severe cold on the streets at night. A doctor examined them around 12pm.

On Thursday afternoon, more than 100 university teachers led by the university's Treasurer Professor Anwarul Islam went to the hunger strike venue in two phases, proposing the protesters for a dialogue, but the students refused each time.

The teachers assured of a judicial inquiry into the police attack and tried to convince the students, but the students did not agree to discuss with any teacher who is not in solidarity with their one-point demand seeking VC's resignation.

Nafiza Anjum, a spokesperson of the agitating students, told the media, "The vice-chancellor ordered the attack on the students. Students are not safe with him as the VC. We will never go back to class unless he resigns."

A delegation of Sylhet district and metropolitan BNP came to the university on Thursday afternoon and expressed solidarity with the movement.

Meanwhile, Planning Minister MA Mannan called upon the students to solve the problem through discussion.

Speaking at a function in Sylhet on Thursday, the minister said, "I am very sorry for what happened at the university. Students are our children. We cannot leave them. No impulsive decision should be imposed on them. The situation must be dealt with patiently."