Academic order sought

Press, 15 January 1986, Page 6

Academic order sought

NZPA-Reuter Dhaka The new head of Dhaka University yesterday appealed to students, politicians and the Government at Bangladesh to help end months of violence, including a series of bomb blasts, on the campus. Dr Abdul Mannan took over as Vice-Chancellor, replacing Professor Shamsul Haque who resigned last week after four explosions shook the campus and two

bombs were defused by army experts.

Professor Haque said he was unable to continue his duties because-the Government and opposition parties ignored his appeal for peace and had supplied arms to students, turning the 18,000student university into a political battleground. “My first and most sacred duty is to restore a proper academic atmosphere in the country’s largest university plagued by months of

student violence including bomb attacks and armed clashes,” Dr Mannan said. Just hours before he took over, the police removed two bombs. One student was wounded in a blast while making bombs, university staff said. Dr Mannan said he would soon convene a .special meeting of the university Senate to prepare for the election of . a new ViceChancellor as provided under its constitution.