Students lock Barishal University VC’s residence, cut off utilities in one-point protest

Students of Barishal University have locked the main gate of Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Sucharita Sharmin’s residence and disconnected its water and power connections as part of their ongoing single-point movement demanding her resignation.

The action was taken on Wednesday as part of a pre-announced programme, the students said.

Student protester Rakin Khan warned that the locks would remain in place unless the VC steps down.

Around 11am, students gathered outside the administrative building before marching to the VC’s residence, where they locked the gate and disconnected all utility connections one by one.

The demonstrators said they would only reopen the residence after a new VC is appointed.

If their demand remains unmet, they plan to announce stricter programmes, including hunger strikes.

According to the students, 15 departments have issued statements expressing solidarity with the one-point movement.

Sujoy Biswas Shuvo, a leader of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, said: “A vice-chancellor is supposed to be present on campus full-time. But the current one is mostly absent, which has paralysed administrative functions.

“The university is not operating normally. We are demanding her resignation.”

Another protester, Mokabel Sheikh, said: “On the 24th day of the movement, as part of our earlier announcement, we locked the VC’s residence. She is never here, always staying in Dhaka.

“We are not yet announcing harsher programmes considering the upcoming cluster admission tests,” he added. “But from next week, we will begin hunger strikes and may call for a shutdown across southern Bangladesh.”

Asked for her response, Prof Sucharita said: “I have heard about the lock and the disconnection of utility services. Only a handful of students were there.

“Protests are fine, but they need to be constructive. This movement is not constructive, which is why most students are not participating.

“I’ve also heard that employees are being called and asked to join the protest,” she added.