Shahjalal University students protest to demand justice following hostel canteen assault
Students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) staged a protest on Monday to demand justice after a fellow student was assaulted for complaining about poor food quality at the Shah Paran Hall canteen. More than 100 students from the 2023-24 academic year marched through the campus, gathering at the university's central roundabout before moving toward the 'Chetana-71' monument and the social sciences building.
The demonstration was triggered by an incident involving Khairul Khandaker, a student from the Department of Social Sciences. On July 16, Khandaker posted a complaint in the hall’s WhatsApp group regarding the substandard meals served at the dormitory canteen. Two days later, he was reportedly attacked by Hasibur Rahman, the university unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s secretary of communications, and Tareq Rahman, the unit's assistant office secretary.
Protesters decried the violence, chanting slogans that demanded accountability from the university administration and the immediate expulsion of those responsible. During the rally, students expressed growing impatience with the pace of the investigation, noting that they had previously given the administration a three-day deadline to address the assault.
The university has formed a three-member committee to investigate the violence, with findings expected to be submitted this Tuesday. Student representatives warned that if the investigation fails to produce a satisfactory outcome, they are prepared to boycott all classes and examinations to escalate their protest.
Speakers at the demonstration emphasized that the campus must be a safe environment free from intimidation. They maintained that the administration’s current response would serve as a litmus test for their commitment to justice, adding that the student body remains united in its resolve to ensure the perpetrators face formal consequences for their actions.
