RU professor killing: Univ teachers skip classes

Teachers enforced three-hour work abstention at all public universities while Rajshahi University students and teachers continued their with protests for the 11th day on Monday demanding punishment of killers of its English professor AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee.
Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association leaders said that they would join a solidarity meeting at Rajshahi organised by Rajshahi University Teachers Association today and would submit a memorandum to the home minister on Wednesday while Rajshahi University English department teachers and students decided to continue with their agitations during the university’s summer vacations.
A passionate lover of art and music, an amateur photographer and organiser of a music school, editor of little magazine Komalgandhar and an adviser to a cultural troupe, AFM Rezaul Karim Siddiquee was hacked to death in Rajshahi city on April 23.
Since then, his fellow teachers and students have been carrying out protests for immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers.
New Age correspondent in Rajshahi reported that local mosque imam Raihan Ali of Bagmara and Islami Chhatra Shibir activist Khairula Islam were remanded in custody on Monday for four days for interrogation in the case. Metropolitan magistrate Mokseda Asgor passed the order. The two were detained on April 27.
Teachers at the Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Islamic University in Kushtia, Khaulna University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur and other public universities enforced three-hour work abstention and staged sit-in on the campuses.
They enforced the work abstention as part of their solidarity with programme declared by the federation.
During the work abstention beginning from 10:00am, no classes were held at the universities, reported New Age correspondents.
Addressing the sit-in at Dhaka University, federation general secretary ASM Maksud Kamal announced that they would join a solidarity rally of Rajshahi University teachers and would march towards home ministry and submit memorandum on Wednesday.
He said, ‘Culture of impunity is encouraging killers.’
Federation president Farid Uddin Ahmed said that the police chief should resign for failure to maintain law and order and stop killings in the country.
Left leaning Progressive Students Alliance called rallies at all public universities for today protesting at Rezaul killing and police attack on students at Jessore University of Science and Technology.
Rajshahi University RU English department brought out a silent procession at about 10:00am and paraded the campus. Later, they held a brief rally at Mukul Mancha, a makeshift platform set up after the nickname of the slain professor.
At the rally, English professor Jahurul Islam announced that the department would continue with the protests till May 18 although the university was going into summer holidays from May 6 to 27.
Rajshahi University Teachers Association president Md Shahidullah said the there was no sign of progress in the investigation inside 10 days of the murder.
Slain teacher’s daughter Rizwana Hasin Shotovi demanded quick trial of the killing.
The department also brought out a mourn procession on the campus carrying four symbolic coffins that indicate four murders of RU teachers in the past 12 years.
Rajshahi University Teachers Association staged a one-hour sit-in near the senate building from about noon alongside their work abstention programme.
General students brought out a procession on the campus.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.com