The High Court on Tuesday ordered an injunction on the current movement of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology teachers, students and employees demanding removal of the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor.
The bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed on July 29 by Supreme Court lawyer Eunus Ali Akand challenging the July 10 decision of the BUET authorities to close the university for 44 days.
Eunus also challenged the government’s inaction in reopening the university
and resolving the stalemate.
He sought a direction on the authorities for an immediate reopening of the university and a judicial inquiry commission in seven days to investigate the present situation, publication of advertisements for admission of the first year and stopping the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor from performing their duties.
The court, however, passed no order on these issues.
The authorities on July 10 closed the university for 44 days in the face of the movement for the removal of the vice-chancellor, SM Nazrul Islam, and the pro-vice-chancellor, Habibur Rahman.
The protestors, however, began the current round of protests on July 11.
The High Court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks the legality of the continuous strike of teachers, employees and students, ordering the injunction on the movement till the disposal of the rule.
The education secretary, the inspector general of police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor, and the BUET Teachers’ Association president and general secretary were asked to reply to the rule.
The court also asked the inspector general of police and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to keep law and order on the campus.
Moving the petition, Eunus argued that the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, had asked the vice-chancellor and the education minister to resolve the crisis but the vice-chancellor had closed the university while the education minister had felt embarrassed to resolve the crisis.
Eunus said that he had filed the petition in public interest to protect the reputed university and the interest of the students.
Additional attorney general MK Rahman argued that the government had already taken steps to resolve the issue and as part of the process, the prime minister had already talked with the education minister and the teachers.
He defended the vice-chancellor saying that BUET had been closed for Ramadan and not in the face of teachers’ protests.
The BUET Teachers’ Association is holding protests against administrative, not over any issues relating to academic affairs and the court has the jurisdiction to examine whether the teachers could hold protests on administrative matters, MK Rahman said.
The teachers association’s general secretary Ashraful Islam told New Age that they would decide the next course of action on receipt of the copy of the order.
The teachers’ association, however, was holding a meeting on Tuesday night and it was going on till 10:30pm.
The vice-chancellor told New Age that they would chalk up the next course of action when they would receive the papers.
He said that the administration would resume classes if the court issued any directive on the issue.
The teachers, students and employees, meanwhile, staged the sit-in on the campus for the 11th consecutive day on Tuesday to push for their demand.
They began the fresh round of protests in front of the council building on July 21 after a break of two days on July 18 and 19.
The teachers’ association on Monday suspended the decision of the teachers’ mass resignation till August 6 when it would sit again to make a decision in this regard.
They postponed their decision of mass resignation till July 30 at a meeting on July 21.
BUET teachers on July 16 decided to resign en masse on July 22 if their demand was not met by 4:00pm on the day.
The education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, held two rounds of meetings on July 16 and 30 on the crisis which ended without any major decision being reached to end the stalemate.
On July 11, all the five deans and the 17 department heads and directors of three institutes under the university resigned as the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor refused to quit.
The teachers earlier rallied against the administration between April 8 and May 5, pushing for removal of the two top officials.
The protestors also submitted a memorandum to the president.
-With New Age input
