Amid the aggressive activities of a group of students opposed to the Awami League, Dr. Anupam Sen, the Vice-Chancellor of Chittagong’s private Premier University, has resigned from his post. On Friday night, he submitted his resignation letter to the university’s Chancellor, the President of Bangladesh.
When contacted, Dr. Sen confirmed to the media that he had sent his resignation letter. However, sources close to his family revealed that in recent days, Dr. Sen had been subjected to various forms of harassment and humiliation. He repeatedly contacted Education Adviser Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud via phone calls and SMS, but received no response. He also expressed his helplessness to various intelligence agencies, who stated they could not intervene, as the actions of religious extremists associated with Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the Chhatra Shibir (the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami) were beyond their control.
In his resignation letter, Dr. Sen wrote, “Due to age-related reasons, I have decided to resign from my position as Vice-Chancellor of Premier University, as I am no longer willing to continue my responsibilities.”
Dr. Sen had been serving as Vice-Chancellor of Premier University since 2006, after retiring from Chittagong University.
Since Wednesday, a group of student mobs had been shouting, demanding the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and the Treasurer. They locked the gates of three university campuses, including the GEC campus.
Under the banner “Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Premier University,” the mob continued their demonstrations on Thursday, holding a rally at the main gate of the GEC campus. They announced plans for more severe actions on Saturday.
Later, during a meeting with heads of various academic departments at the university’s Academic Council on Friday, Dr. Sen informed them of his decision to resign.
The protestors claimed Dr. Sen of being a member of the Awami League Advisory Council, opposing the July programs, and being a supporter of Sheikh Hasina, calling for his immediate resignation.
Dr. Anupam Sen, an internationally renowned sociologist, was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2014 for his contributions to education. His teaching career spans more than five decades.