Students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) locked the gates of the Department of Geological Sciences late on Monday night, issuing a 12-hour ultimatum to locate their missing classmate, Md Mohaiminul Islam.
The protesting students locked the main entrance of the department at around 1:30am on Monday after returning from the university Proctor’s office, declaring that the gates would remain locked until their eight-point demand is met in full.
The protesters alleged severe academic harassment and non-cooperation from departmental teachers as key factors behind Mohaiminul’s disappearance.
Their eight-point demand includes ensuring Mohaiminul is traced within 12 hours, forming an investigation committee to identify those responsible for his disappearance, and the immediate resignation of Department Chairman Professor Hossain Mohammad Sayem and Student Adviser Prof Abu Sadat Mohammad Sham.
The protesters are also demanding the re-evaluation of answer scripts for the relevant course, an end to all harassment and targeting of any student or batch, and ensuring the physical campus presence of assigned teachers.
Additionally, their charter calls for swiftly activating the departmental student council and introducing a formal teacher evaluation system.
Mohaiminul, a student of the 50th batch of the Department of Geological Sciences, resides at the university’s Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall.
According to his classmates, he had been facing prolonged uncertainty and distress over the arrangement of a special examination. Despite completing all required administrative formalities, he was forced to contact teachers repeatedly. When informed at the final stage that taking the examination was impossible, uncertainty arose over his eligibility for the upcoming Master’s examination, creating fears of losing an academic year.
According to the university administration, Mohaiminul was last seen boarding a Dhaka-bound university BRTC bus in front of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall at 3:08 pm on Sunday. A note-referred to by the administration as a suicide note-was subsequently recovered from Room 110 of ‘A’ Block in the hall.
Directing allegations at the individuals concerned, the note read: “Six months of drama has pushed me towards death.” Mohaiminul has remained untraceable since.
Following his disappearance, the JU administration filed a General Diary (GD) with Savar Police Station. Vice-Chancellor Dr Md Nurul Islam is directly overseeing the search and rescue operations in coordination with the police and the Detective Branch (DB).
Meanwhile, a press release issued by the university’s Public Relations Office said that an investigation committee has been constituted to probe the allegations made in the note, while the VC has assured that necessary steps will be taken regarding Mohaiminul’s examination.
