A section of teachers of Jahangirnagar University (JU) formed a human chain on the campus yesterday protesting the mental and physical harassment of freshers on the campus in the name of ragging. Protesting the ragging, a section of pro-Awami League teachers under the banner of “Bangabandhur Adarsha O Muktijuddher Chetonay Biswasi Pragatishil Shikkhak Samaj” organised the event in front of JU administrative building at 11.30 am yesterday. Speakers at the programme urged the university authorities to take punitive action against the students who are involved in ragging. They called upon to voice unitedly against the bad culture. Former vice-chancellor professor Shariff Enamul Kabir said “We gave 48 hours ultimatum to the university authorities for taking punitive measures against the persons involved in ragging”.  Besides, he urged all teacher and student leaders to come forward with a view to stopping mental and physical harassment of fresher students.

Around 50 teachers took part at the programme. JU Teachers Association (JUTA) and Shikkhak Mancha respectively made the demand through two separate press meet on Sunday. President of JU Teaches Association Professor Farid Ahmed in a press conference said “We urged the university authorities to take immediate actions to prevent ragging on the campus. We will help them in this connection”.

Expressing deep concern over the issue he said “We have decided to go to different dormitories to raise awareness on this issue”.

Besides, left leaning teachers’ group under the banner “Shikkhak Mancha” demanded to prevent ragging on the campus immediately.

At the conference, Professor Mohammad said, “Lack of proper accountability of hall authorities and university administration, ragging is increasing day by day. If they ensure the proper accommodation of the fresher students and eliminate the “gono room’ (a populated place for freshers accommodated), it will decrease automatically.”