Academic and administrative activities at Barishal University came to a standstill on Monday after the teachers began a complete shutdown on the day, demanding promotion.
They also declared vice-chancellor Professor Mohammad Taufiq Alam unwanted on the campus.
Their other demands are resolution of teachers’ crisis and removal of the vice-chancellor.
Protesting teachers vowed to continue the movement until their demands were met.
A section of officials and employees of the university also expressed solidarity with the teachers’ protest on the day, while the students demanded resumption of the classes and examinations resolving the problem quickly.
The protest began on April 21 when around 60 teachers under the banner of Barishal University Teacher’s Society launched their work abstention and administrative shutdown programme, demanding promotion.
Amid the ongoing protest programme, the teachers’ organisation at a meeting on Sunday announced a complete academic and administrative shutdown, declaring the vice-chancellor unwanted on the campus from Monday.
University proctor (in-charge) and associate professor Rahat Hossain Faisal Mohammad Tanvir Kaiser, also associate professor, resigned, demanding promotion to full professor.
Since Monday morning, teachers from departments boycotted all kinds of academic and administrative activities, starting their protest by gathering on the ground floor of the university’s administrative building.
They also went to different buildings of the university calling on officials and employees to join their agitation and also locked office rooms making the officials leave the rooms.
Protesters said that a tripartite meeting was held on April 30 between the vice-chancellor, Barishal divisional commissioner and representatives of the protesting teachers to resolve the complications regarding their promotion.
But despite a syndicate meeting last Saturday, no solution was found, they alleged.
Associate professor Hafiz Ashraful Haque alleged that the vice-chancellor was not working to implement any of their demands.
Chairman of the department of geology and mining associate professor Dhiman Kumar Roy said that even though six months had passed since the establishment of the promotion board, the vice-chancellor kept the issue hanging.
Vice-chancellor professor Mohammad Taufiq Alam said that without formulating the university statute the administration was unable to give promotion to the teachers.
‘I have talked to the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. I have tried to sit with the teachers repeatedly. But they are adamant,’ he said.
More than 10,000 students are studying in 25 departments at Barishal University.
Some of the students expressed worries over falling behind their studies due to the teachers’ movement, urging for resumption of the academic activities immediately.
