Classes, exams to resume from Tuesday: RU VC

Classes and examinations will proceed as usual from tomorrow (Tuesday), said Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Golam Sabbir Sattar.

Among the seven points demand of the students, efforts are underway to fulfill the demands such as restricting entry of outsiders into the campus, meeting with the mess owner and local administration to ensure the safety of the students outside the campus, bearing medical expenses of the injured students, and working to ensure 100% residential accommodation, said the vice-chancellor in a press conference with the media workers in the conference room of the university's administration building on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a five-member probe committee, led by Pro-Vice-Chancellor of RU Prof Humayun Kabir, has been formed to investigate the cause of the clash and prevent recurrence of such incidents.  

Other members of the committee are Prof Md Tariqul Hasan, Department of Chemistry; Prof Abdur Rashid Sarkar, Department of Economics; Md Shafiquzzaman Joarder, syndicate member, and Dr Md Arifur Rahman, assistant proctor.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within seven working days.

On Saturday (11 March), an altercation with a student of the university over bus fare led to a clash with local shopkeepers.

The incident took place at the Binodpur Gate area of the university. 

As per local sources, the clash occurred following an altercation between a student, who returned to the campus from his home in Bogura, and bus employees over bus fares. The clash turned big shortly and left some 200 people injured.

Eighteen of them are still undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), and six students underwent eye surgery.

Vice-Chancellor Golam Sabbir Satta said that the eyes of two students were seriously damaged. They may be sent to Dhaka for better treatment.

After the clash on Saturday a standstill situation prevailed in Rajshahi University and nearby areas due to Saturday's clash.

Traffic on Dhaka-Rajshahi has been limited. Shops in Binodpur Bazaar are closed. The number of students is scarce in the campus area. Additional members of the law and order security forces are deployed in the campus area to keep the situation calm.

The situation started becoming normal from Sunday night. Additional police forces have been deployed in front of Binodpur and the main gate of the university to prevent disruption of traffic.

Besides filing a case against 250-300 unidentified people, the police arrested one person in the incident.

Regarding the police case, the vice-chancellor said that the university administration will give importance to ensure that the students are not harassed.

Previously, RU authorities filed a case against more than 500 unnamed people over Saturday's clash.