Students’ program to stop the activities of student politics in Ruet, Chhatra Dal-supporters stand next to it

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A group of students again staged a sit-in program at the Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) campus, focusing on writing on political walls and burning banners. They started this program in front of the administrative building at around two o’clock on Monday.

At the same time, some Chhatra Dal-backed students occupied the main gate of Ruet. They say they don’t want secret politics in this campus.

The general students gave several slogans in the program. Notable among them are ‘Student party address, not on this campus’, ‘Student camp address, not on this campus’, ‘NCP address not on this campus’, ‘One to three four, politics no more’.

The students made three demands from the stay programme. The demands are expulsion of those creating anarchy in the campus for bringing in student politics; The notification passed on August 10, 2024 banned all forms and party politics—proper accountability of the administration; The administration has to form an election committee and hold a referendum within 15 days whether the students of Ruet want politics or not.

Ridwan Siddiqui, a student of the 2020-21 academic year of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering department, said that most of the students do not want any kind of politics here. If necessary, there can be a referendum again whether there will be student politics on this campus or not. In this regard, the administration should make a decision by committee.

Chhatra Dal supporters from in front of the main gate said that there is no Chhatra Dal committee in the campus. But secretly many are running political activities. They have written walls against such secret politics.

Araf Masud, a student of the 2020-21 academic year of the mechanical engineering department of the university, said, “After August 5, there were various demands against the student politics in the campuses. Later it was seen that a particular political party implemented its own agenda. They did secret politics. This politics is also happening in Ruet. We are against such secret politics.

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After four in the afternoon, the student welfare director of RUET spoke to the protesting students. He said that the Vice-Chancellor is currently staying outside the campus. He will give these three points to the vice chancellor. The Vice-Chancellor will decide on this.

Later, the students marched from the administration building towards the central library. There they unfurled a banner saying ‘No Politics’. Later, the students finished the program around 4:30 pm.

Earlier, Rabiul Islam Sarkar told Prothom Alo over the phone that no political student organization could form a committee in Ruet after August 5. However, news of various activities is coming on social media. Excitement is building over this. Action will be taken if found concerned as per rules.

On the other hand, a group of students protested against the open and secret politics last night. When the procession reached in front of the Martyr President Ziaur Rahman Hall around 1:30 am, the situation became heated. At this time Chhatra Dal-supported students raised slogans for the party.

The marching students raised slogans against student politics. The counter-slogan created a tense situation for some time. Later, the procession moved from there around two o’clock in the night.

According to university sources, teachers, officials and employees were already banned from participating in political activities. After August 5, 2024, in the face of the students’ demands, this ban was also imposed on them. However, there are allegations of overt and undercover political activities under the cover of various organizations.