Students declare principal ‘unwanted’, alleges police attack

Students of the capital’s Government College of Applied Human Sciences (formerly Home Economics College) have accused police of baton-charging them while rescuing the principal from a student blockade.

They have also declared Principal Prof Meherun Nesa unwanted on the campus and demanded her resignation.

The protesters have given the authorities a 72-hour ultimatum to form an impartial investigation committee and take action against the police personnel involved in the incident, warning of tougher programmes if their demands are not met.

The students announced the ultimatum at a press conference in front of the college’s main gate at around 12:30pm on Friday. Later, at around 4:40pm, a group of students held a symbolic protest at Nilkhet intersection, covering their mouths with black cloth.

They condemned the alleged police attack and held the principal responsible for the incident.

At the press conference, Tamanna Islam presented two demands on behalf of the protesters. First, they called for an impartial investigation committee to be formed within 72 hours to investigate the alleged police attack on students late on Thursday night. They also demanded that the police personnel and officials involved be identified and face exemplary departmental and legal action.

Their second demand was the principal’s resignation. The students declared Prof Meherun Nesa unwelcome on the campus and said all administrative activities, classes and examinations would remain suspended indefinitely until the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) issued an official notification regarding her resignation.

Earlier on Friday, students staged a demonstration on the road in front of the college, disrupting traffic between Nilkhet intersection and Azimpur bus stand. They later held the press conference to announce their demands and ultimatum.

The protesters alleged that police baton-charged students while rescuing the principal from her office on Thursday night. At least two students were injured in the incident and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, they said.

They also alleged that police took away a student's mobile phone when the student tried to record the incident during the police operation.

During Friday afternoon's symbolic protest, students covered their faces with black cloth to conceal their identities. They alleged that police attacked them on the campus at the principal's instigation. None of the participants agreed to disclose their identities, saying they feared possible repercussions.

Students began protesting at around 10:30am on Thursday, demanding the principal's resignation. At one stage, they confined her to her office. The protest continued throughout the day, and tensions escalated at night.

At around 11:30pm, police entered the campus at the request of the college authorities and rescued the principal. Students alleged that police baton-charged them during the operation.

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Students confine principal, stage mid-night protest at Applied Human Science College

After the principal's rescue, students took to the road in front of the college and continued their demonstration. More than 100 students remained there even after midnight, chanting slogans demanding her resignation. At around 12:15am, the protesters held a press conference and announced four demands.

The demands include no government examinations on the campus on Friday; police personnel who baton-charged students inside the campus be issued show-cause notices; all campus activities remain suspended indefinitely until the principal formally announces her resignation in writing; and teachers and employees who justified the alleged attack be declared unwelcome on the campus.

Students said their movement stemmed from allegations of irregularities, arbitrary decisions, threats to cancel residential seats and harassment by the college administration. The immediate trigger was the cancellation of two students' residential seats and a demand for Tk12,600 as electricity charges for an auditorium programme.

Tabassum, a student of the 2019-20 academic session, alleged that the principal cancelled the residential seats of two students from the 2020-21 academic session without any reasonable explanation. When the students sought clarification, the principal failed to provide a satisfactory answer, she said.

Tabassum further alleged that the principal demanded Tk12,600 from the two students. Even after one of them pleaded with the principal to reduce the amount, she behaved rudely with them.

She also said students faced fines for returning to their residential halls slightly late. Citing various allegations of harassment and irregularities, Tabassum said they would continue their movement until the principal resigned.

Shampa Akhtar, another student, said the dispute arose over a programme held at the college auditorium before Durga Puja. As the organisers failed to finish the programme within the scheduled time, the principal cancelled the residential seats of two students, she alleged.

"Later, when we apologised, the principal demanded Tk12,500 as the auditorium's electricity bill. We are students. How can we afford such a large amount?" Shampa said.

She also alleged that the principal brought police to the campus to beat the students during Thursday's protest.

Denying the students' allegations, Principal Prof Meherun Nesa said they were making false claims. She said the programme was scheduled to end at 10pm but continued until 5am, prompting the administration to take disciplinary action.

However, she said she had shown leniency after the students apologised.

"The college has some rules. They have to pay the electricity bill for what they used. What have I done wrong?" she said.

Lalbagh police station Officer-in-Charge Jamil Hossain on Thursday night that students had confined the principal to her office since morning. At one stage, the college authorities informed the relevant officials that she had fallen ill.

After receiving the information at around 11pm, police entered the college, rescued the principal and handed her over to her family, he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Lalbagh Division) Mostaq Sarkar said police went to the campus on Thursday night only to rescue the principal at the request of the college authorities.

"Only female police personnel were present there. They tried to persuade the students and bring the situation under control," he said, denying the allegation of a baton charge.

He added that the principal was safe and police had asked the students who were demonstrating in front of the college to return to the campus.