Following a wave of protests demanding the resignation of Registrar Md Monirul Islam, Barishal University has filed a General Diary (GD) against 22 students, accusing them of creating chaos and obstructing campus operations.
Assistant Registrar KM Sanowar Parvez Liton lodged the GD at the Metropolitan Bandar Police Station today morning (28 April) under direct instructions from the university authorities. “I am a junior officer of the university. I am not a decision-maker and am completely innocent regarding the filing of the GD or a case,” he said, adding that the GD was prepared by a lawyer and that he had only followed orders.
The GD names 10 students across various departments and includes allegations against 12 unidentified individuals. Students were accused of locking the registrar’s office, intimidating officials, and disrupting administrative activities on 27 April, the day they burned an effigy of Registrar Monirul Islam in front of the administrative building.
Their protest is tied to a four-point demand that goes beyond just the registrar’s removal. Students are also calling for the reinstatement of Professor Md Muhsin Uddin in key administrative roles, action against teachers allegedly supporting “autocratic and fascist” practices, and an apology from the vice-chancellor for favouring controversial teachers.
Bandar Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Rafiqul Islam confirmed that they had received the GD and are investigating the matter.
At the heart of the unrest is a deepening frustration among students who feel that the university’s leadership has failed to protect democratic practices on campus.