Students protest hall mismanagement and alleged disrespect; provost accused of threatening representatives
Chittagong University (CU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Yeahia Akhtar faced student protests during the inauguration of Shah Jalal Hall’s annual sports competition on Monday. Hall council representatives blocked the VC’s car for approximately 20 minutes over allegations of hall mismanagement and disregard for the hall council.
The sports competition began around 9 AM on Monday, with the Vice-Chancellor arriving at 9:30 AM to inaugurate the event after the national anthem. Around 10 AM, as he was leaving, hall council representatives attempted to discuss various hall issues with him. Students allege that when the VC refused to listen and got into his car, they became agitated and blocked the vehicle.
Hall council representatives demanded comprehensive reforms including repairs to the reading room, electrical connections and extensions, mosque, hall council office, hall grounds, club room, dining facilities, and overall infrastructure.
Shah Jalal Hall Council Vice-President Md. Ala Uddin said: “Our hall has many problems. Despite informing authorities repeatedly, no effective steps have been taken. Even in today’s sports competition, hall council representatives were not included in any activities. When we wanted to speak with the VC, he got into his car without listening to us. We blocked him in protest. Later, we agreed to sit for discussions after assurances from the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Proctor.”
Hall Council General Secretary Mohammad Raihan stated: “The hall lacks many essential facilities. The reading room has no proper study environment, rooms are unfit for living, dining food quality is poor, and the hall council office is inadequate. We respected the Provost and didn’t take action before. But today we weren’t even informed about the sports competition, which forced us to take this step.”
He further alleged: “After today’s incident, the Provost said we would have to ‘suffer the consequences’ for our actions. This felt like a threat to us, as it could affect exam results and other matters.”
When asked about the threat allegation, Shah Jalal Hall Provost Professor Fuad Hasan said: “I said there are consequences, and you may suffer for what you did today. I didn’t threaten anyone. I didn’t say I would beat or harm them. Where do I even have that power? They are students from various political backgrounds—what can I do to them?”
Regarding allegations of excluding hall council representatives from the sports event and hall renovation issues, he said: “We stayed in contact with the sports secretary. It’s not always possible to contact all 14 hall council representatives separately. A committee has already been formed to decide whether Shah Jalal Hall should even be kept operational. I’ve undertaken various renovation works on my own initiative. The hall has problems—that’s true—but efforts are ongoing to solve them.”
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Mohammad Shamim Uddin Khan commented: “Minor disagreements can happen at the university. This isn’t a major issue. We’re sitting down for discussions around 4 PM today. There are some complaints since it’s an old hall. I hope solutions will emerge from the discussion.”
Attempts to reach Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Yeahia Akhtar by phone were unsuccessful as he did not answer calls.