Facing student protests, the chairman of Barisal University’s Department of Coastal Studies and Disaster Management, Hafiz Ashraful Haque, has finally resigned. After announcing his resignation from the chairmanship, the protesting students withdrew their hunger strike around 10 p.m.
Asked about the resignation, Hafiz Ashraful Haque said: “I have resigned from the position of chairman.”
Students began protesting Sunday morning, demanding Hafiz Ashraful Haque’s resignation over various allegations, including high-handedness, not personally taking classes for courses listed under his name, and giving grades according to his own preference without holding exams. That day, they demonstrated, locked the department chairman’s office, and declared him persona non grata. From noon Monday, more than a hundred students began an indefinite hunger strike in front of the vice-chancellor’s office, demanding chairman Hafiz Ashraful Haque’s resignation. When Hafiz Ashraful Haque resigned around 10 p.m., the students ended their hunger strike.
Announcing the withdrawal of their protest, the students said they were ending the hunger strike because he had resigned from the chairmanship. However, they said, Hafiz Ashraful Haque must not be allowed to take any classes or exams. They also said he must be removed from the department within one month.
Protesting student Naimur Rahman said: “Hafiz Ashraful Haque has resigned from the position of department chairman. At the same time, the university administration has also confirmed to us that he will not be allowed to take any classes or exams, which was our demand. The administration has been given one month to remove him. If he isn’t removed within this one month, we will resume our protest.”