Bangladeshi students donate blood in protest against university corruption

(Sept. 05, 2012) Blood donations to demand their right to study without political interference or corruption is the form of protest chosen by hundreds of students and professors of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the oldest and most important technical faculty in the country. For more than three months students and faculty staff have been calling for the resignation of the Vice Chancellor Nazrul Islam, and the Pro-Vice Chancellor- VC, Habimur Raman, accusing them of favouritism on the basis of political affiliation. Students denounce the vice chancellor of having transgressed one of the cornerstones of academic regulation, according to which, faculty positions are not awarded according seniority, but on the academic skills learned in previous administrative experience. Prof. Raman, appointed by Islam as its Pro-VC does not fall into this category, but it was imposed by the government for political reasons. The VC avoided all confrontation over the demand for his resignation and instead closed the entire faculty on July 10, 30 days ahead of the month of Ramadan. Once the holy month of fasting ended, the VC reopened the University, but students and professors refuse to attend lessons, and have staged sit-ins and marches.
In response, the president filed a complaint against hundreds of professors, accusing them falsely of vandalism, theft and damage to the offices of Pro-VC and VC. Reacting to this provocation, on Monday some students gathered outside the university and collected a bottle each of their blood. Then, they sprinkled a few drops on the stairs in front of the office of the VC, speaking of "voluntary shedding of blood." After holding a procession around the campus, even the teachers joined them and decided also to donate their blood .