Teachers of Bangladesh Agricultural University have boycotted classes and examinations.
Protesting at an attack on their colleagues by Bangladesh Chhatra League, associate organisation of the ruling Awami League, the university's teachers decided to refrain from classes and as declared on Monday, the teachers' association sat in a meeting around 11:00am.
'Fresh programmes will be announced later,' teachers' association president Nazrul Islam told the news agency.
At least 20 teachers were injured on Monday afternoon when BCL attacked them at the Teachers-Students Centre on the campus. One of the teachers was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital with critical injuries.
Witnesses said, Chhatra League activists went on a rampage in some buildings on the campus during the attack and also set two motorcycles and two cars on fire.
Also, some teachers held four Chhatra Leaguers -Noor Alam, 'Habib', 'Rasel' and 'Tapu'- during the attack and took them to the proctor's office and later handed them over to the police. The four activists were, however, released in the evening.
The teachers came under attack on Monday following the proctor's handing over two Chhatra League activists, Noor Mohammad and 'Arif', to sadar police on Sunday.
They were caught by security guards around 3:00pm for allegedly trying to mug someone at the university's Botanical Garden. They were sent to jail after appearing before a court, Kotwali police officer Golam Sarwar said on Monday.
However, until Tuesday noon, no Chhatra League activities were seen on the campus after heavy policy deployment.
Activists of a Chhatra League faction vandalised proctor Abu Hadi Noor Ali's car at night following the handover and also hurled abuses at him from outside his residence at the teachers' quarters.
Protesting at this behaviour, the teachers' association held an emergency meeting around 12:30pm on Monday and brought out a silent procession.
On Monday afternoon, Chhatra League also held a protest rally demanding release of the duo, and threatened to boycott classes and examinations if the two were not freed within 72 hours.
Source : New Age
