Sachetan Sylhetbasi, a platform of a section of Sylhet people, on Sunday issued a 30-hour ultimatum to Shahjalal University of Science and Technology authorities to cancel the joint intake test process of the university with Jessore University of Science and Technology. The forum leaders declared that they would observe a sit-in in front of the SUST main entrance on Thursday, if the university administration failed to meet their demand within the 30 hours next.
The made the announcement at an instant rally held at Tapaban Point, a place near to the SUST campus, at the noon after they were resisted by police from marching to the university campus, sources in the organisation said.
As part of the previously declared programme, several hundred people under banner of ‘Sachetan Sylhetbasi’ started marching towards the university campus from Madina Market in the city.
But the police resisted the marchers in the city’s Tapaban Point where they held the brief rally to protest at the police resistance.
Speakers at the rally also threatened that the people who initiated the joint intake test system would be declared ‘unwanted’ in Sylhet, if the admission process was not scrapped by the deadline.
The forum spokesperson lieutenant colonel (retired) Ali Ahmad, its convener Rezaul Hasan Kayes Ludi, joint-convener brigadier (retired) Zubayer Siddiquee, SUST mathematics professor Golam Ali Haydar, Ataur Rahman Pir, sadar upazila vice-chairman Abul Kashem and Doctors’ Association local unit’s former general secretary Nazmul Hossain, among others, addressed the rally.
The forum leaders on Wednesday declared to march towards the SUST campus on Sunday, if the demand was not meet by Saturday.
They also declared that they would enforce a blockade in Sylhet day before the SUST admission test and a general strike on the day of taking the test if their demand goes unheeded.
The SUST and JUST authorities this year signed an agreement to hold the admission tests jointly for both the universities on November 30 with a same question paper.
According to the agreement, the candidates who would come out successful in the tests will have the option to choose any of the two universities to be enrolled, the campus sources said.
But, SUST administration on Tuesday was forced to cancel the joint admission test process following repeated protest by a section of students and their guardians, academics, and politicians in Sylhet.
Later on Wednesday afternoon, SUST administration agreed to restore the process in the face of pressure from the university teachers and students to retain the joint intake process.
The authorities, however, kept adjourned the date of tests that was scheduled for November 30, sources in the authorities said.
-With New Age input
