UGC writes to all VCs to bring back students to classrooms

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday sent letter to the vice chancellors of all public and private universities to bring back students, who have been protesting for the reformation of the quota system in government jobs, to the classrooms.

The letter said the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court gave some observations and directives following two civil petitions, and the vice chancellors of all universities were requested by order to comply with these.

The instructions include all protesting students were asked to return to their respective institutions; the court hopes all university VCs/proctors and other educational institutions heads will return the students to classes; and agitating students can uphold their opinion before court through lawyer if they want and the court will consider it while disposing the main plea.

However, the UGC did not mention anything in the letter about the public university teachers' work abstention demanding scrapping the 'Prottoy Scheme' of the universal pension.

Asked about this, UGC Secretary Dr Ferdous Zaman said these are Supreme Court's observations and it's their duty to ask the universities to comply with. 

If any direction comes from the government regarding the teachers' movement, it will notify the universities through letter, he added.

AAH/MSU/NMA