Marine Fisheries Academy was closed Tuesday night for 15 days as the cadets ask for meeting their charter of demands.
Cadets said at least 100 of them were injured in police baton charge inside the academy.
Speaking at a news conference at the Chittagong Press Club Wednesday morning the cadets blamed principal ATGM Sarkar for calling in the police to baton charge on them and forcing them to leave.
They sought the prime minister's intervention.
Academy sources said it all happened in a sequel to a peaceful sit by 172 cadets in front of the principal's office Saturday morning to press their charter of demands.
They have been seeking approval to appear for deck and engine officer class-3 examination after 12 months of service experience, awarding of fishing officer class-1 and merchant officer class-3 certificates equivalent and the issuance of Continuous Discharge Certificates unconditionally after the passing out.
They told the news conference that the indiscriminate police baton charged on them was uncalled for as they were staging a peaceful sit in.
The cadets said that after the academy administration suddenly announced 15 days' unscheduled summer vacation and asked them to leave at night on half an hour's notice, the police drove them out by force.
Among the cadets injured in police action were, Julhaj, 22, Mehedi, 22, Shahid, 22, Rehanur, 22, Saiful, 22, Hasan, 22, Abu Hena, 22, Guljar, 22, Shamshed, 18, Mejbah, 18, Taufik, 18, Zia, 18, Jabed, 21, Atique, 22, Khandakar, 20, Shahiduzzaman, 19, Ratindra, 20, Mashud, 22, Ronie, 20, Fakhrul Sharif, 22, Salim,22, Islam, 22, Dostogir, 19, Abu Bakkar, 19, Tarek Ullah, 19, Mahmudul, 19, Ripon, 19, Rajib, 18, Al Amin, 18, Mashud, 18, Mahabub Sajed, 18, Jamal, 18, Karim, 18 and Bipra, 18.
The cadets said that that they would stage a sit in before the National Press Club Saturday from where they would announce their next course of action.
Khorshed Alam, a guardian called it 'absolutely arbitrary' on the part of the academy authorities to ask the cadets to leave the academy at night on half an hour's notice though most of them had nowhere to go and reside in the port city.
He called it 'heartless' for the academy authorities to call in the police to baton charge the cadets.
Despite repeated efforts, principal ATGM Sarkar could not be reached over telephone for comments.
source:New Age
