Buet sit-in postponed on HC order

After agitating for more than 20 days to press for removal of the vice-chancellor and his deputy, teachers and students of Buet yesterday postponed their sit-in to show respect to the High Court's order.

"We have postponed our two-hour long sit-in to show respect to the High Court's order," said Buet Teachers' Association General Secretary Prof Ashraful Islam.

"After getting a copy of the court order officially, we will consult a lawyer to decide on the next step," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

On Tuesday, the HC imposed an injunction against the ongoing agitation and strike by Buet teachers, employees and students to help the engineering institution run its academic functions smoothly.

The agitation spearheaded by the teachers' association began on July 11 after the authorities shut the institution for 44 days in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr. It gained momentum when a large number of students joined them.

Meanwhile, Buet authorities blocked access to the university's website hours after a senior teacher made an appeal in it for the resignation of the VC and his deputy yesterday.

Prof Lutful Kabir, director of Institute of Information and Communications Technology (IICT) of Buet, made the appeal, urging the VC and his deputy to step down in the interest of the institute.

Irked by the appeal, the VC ordered the chief engineer of the engineering office of Buet to shut down the server, Prof Mujibur Rahman, chief of the teachers' association, told The Daily Star.

The website could not be accessed till filing of this report yesterday evening.

Mujibur, however, said the appeal made by the IICT director is his personal endeavour and has no link with the association.

Neither the VC nor Prof Lutful could be reached for their comment despite repeated attempts.