Indefinite strike at SUST, 15 Shibirmen sued

SUST Correspondent :
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology [SUST] unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League [BCL] has enforced an indefinite strike at university from Thursday protesting attack on BCL central committee leader Uttam Kumar Das.
BCL SUST unit Vice-President Anjan Roy announced the strike on the campus at around 12:00 noon yesterday accusing activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir [ICS], the student wing of Jamaat-e Islami, for instigating attack on the BCL leader.
In this situation, the SUST authorities have cancelled all academic classes and examinations till Monday [September 29] apparently pushing the general students into deep uncertainty.
The varsity is going to be closed for Eid-ul Azha and Durga Puja holiday from Tuesday [September 30].
SUST syndicate member and professor of Statistics department Kabir Hossain said that the decision was taken at an emergency syndicate meeting presided over by SUST VC professor Aminul Hoque Bhuiyan.
Prof Hossain said, “The authorities have also formed a five-member inquiry committee headed by professor of Mathematics Ilias Uddin Biswas to investigate the matter.”
 “Apart from it, another separate committee has been formed to look after law and order situation in the campus,” he informed. Additional police personnel have been deployed on the campus and surrounding areas to prevent any untoward incidents, said Officer-in-Charge of Jalalabad Police Station.
Earlier, at about 10:15 pm on Wednesday, a group of armed activists of ICS attacked and stabbed Uttam at Mamoni Restaurant in front of the university main gate when he was gossiping with his friends, sources said.
 “Uttam was rushed to Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital in a critical condition. Later, he was sent to Dhaka for better treatment the same night when his condition was deteriorated, ” Himadri Shekhor Roy, proctor of SUST, said.
Following the attack, the BCL demanded exemplary punishment of Shibir activists involved in the attack and also brought out a procession protesting the attack.
At one stage, the BCL activists also put up blockades on Sylhet-Sunamganj highway and vandalised some vehicles yesterday morning. Later, with the assurances from local administration and Awami League leaders Chhatra League activists withdrew the blockade. Meanwhile, SUST registrar Ishfakul Hossain lodged cases yesterday afternoon with Jalalabad police station against 15 persons including Shibir leader Md Jabed in connection with the attack.