Society
The free medical support for Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) students on hunger strike was suspended and some of their mobile banking accounts are not operating anymore.
The students on protest since January 16 demanding their vice chancellor's resignation disclosed the developments during a press briefing early Tuesday.
"The medical team of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College that was voluntarily providing services to the students on hunger strike from January 19 said they are unable to continue since Monday night," said the students.
Most of the 27 students on hunger strike are suffering from low sugar level, low blood pressure, convulsions and the removal of medical support will further their health risk, the students said quoting a senior doctor from the hospital.
However a doctor arrived at the venue to provide them support voluntarily.
Meanwhile from Monday noon the mobile numbers used for getting financial support to continue the protest stopped working, said Ariful Islam, one of the protesting students.
"When we called the customer care service of these mobile operators they said they are not aware of deactivating any number and asked to contact Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC)," he said.
Meanwhile the students reconnected the electricity connection to VC Farid Uddin Ahmed's official residence on Monday night more than 24 hours after it was disconnected.
They however denied the charges of disconnecting gas, water services and not allowing police, journalists and other people carry food for the VC inside.
The students vowed to continue the hunger strike until SUST VC Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed resigned.
On Monday evening Proctor Alamgir Kabir, an associate professor, first went to the students to try to persuade them to end their fast-unto-VC's resignation protest. The students refused to break the fast and instead locked into an argument with the official team for not supporting their protest.
Later the team tried to get into the VC's residence with food, beverages and medicines but it failed to go through the human chain surrounding the place.
The hunger strike was launched on January 19 by 24 students and later one of them had to leave due to family obligations. On January 22, three more students joined their fellows in the hunger strike.
The strike was launched after police swooped on the protesting students charging batons and firing sound grenades and shotgun bullets on January 16.
The police action was carried out to free the VC from confinement in the university's ICT building.
The clash left at least 40 people hurt, including teachers, students and police personnel.
A provost of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall, a dorm for females, was at the centre of the initial unrest as she allegedly misbehaved with some students on January 13 when they met her with some complaints.
She has since resigned from her post, citing health issues.Provost Zafrin Ahmed's removal was one of the initial demands of the students protesting on the campus. But it has now spread to the general students as well.
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