General students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have pledged to keep their university free from all political parties and banned organisations.

They said that it is their firm conviction that they would build a science and technology-based `Sonar Bangla` being imbued with the spirit of liberation war as dreamt by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In order to achieve this goal, they asserted that it is necessary to keep the BUET campus free from all kinds of politics.

"We are clearly stating once again that students of BUET are against all kinds of student politics. We believe in the spirit of the liberation war and independence," they said in a statement.

The general students also held a press briefing at Dr MA Rashid Administrative Building premises on Sunday (March 31) after taking oath to free the campus from all kinds of petty politics.

"We pledge that we will keep the BUET from all political parties and banned organisations. We will not let the blood of Abrar Fahad Bhai go in vain," they said.

Five students read out a written statement during the press briefing. They, however, declined to disclose their name and identity over security concerns.

They also said they were against all kinds of banned political organisations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir.

They said if any student of BUET is found involved in Chhatra-Shibir politics, they demanded fair investigation into the matter.

At the press conference, general students alleged that students belonging to all batches who have been campaigning a student politics free BUET campus didn`t hold any meeting or demonstration being afraid of their safety and security. Propaganda has been made at all areas around the campus through constant miking, threatening students calling them on their phones, spreading rumours on social media, making false tags to the social media identities of BUET students and posting the students` photos along with their names and addresses on their Facebook pages from Saturday night. In such a situation, the BUET campus and adjoining areas have become unsafe for the BUET students. Even, the students have become concerned about their personal security outside the BUET campus. Absence of BUET students from the campus on security reasons doesn`t mean that they have deviated from their demand of student-politics free campus. This is the demand of all batches of students of BUET, they said.

It was also told at the press conference that no student did appear at the term final examination of 20th batch on Sunday.

A total of 1,213, out of 1,215 students refrained from sitting for the final term exam of the 20th batch students of BUET on Sunday. "This is a clear indication that nearly all of the students are with our demand – no student politics at BUET."

The BUET students` protest began on Friday (March 29) after they boycotted all sorts of academic activities as part of their protest.

They issued an ultimatum to the authorities to expel Imtiaz Hossain Rabbi, a civil engineering student and a central leader of the BCL.

Despite the ban on student politics following the death of student Abrar Fahad, a few leaders and activists of the Chhatra League allegedly entered the campus and carried out political activities on Wednesday (March 27).

Expressing their anger over the incident, the protesting students placed several demands to the BUET administration in written form on Friday afternoon.

The demands include the expulsion of students who assisted the Chhatra League leaders in entering the campus at night and an explanation from the university administration on why political activities were allowed on the campus.

Earlier on Sunday, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) demanded lifting the ban on student politics on BUET campus and giving back its leader Imtiaz Hossain Rabbi his hall seat allotment within 24 hours.

During a protest rally at the Central Shaheed Minar premises, the BCL leaders termed the ban on student politics at BUET campus as being "unconstitutional, anti-education and a breach of basic rights".

While demanding to allow student politics on campus, the BCL president also demanded that BUET authorities take steps to arrange elections for its student union.

Meanwhile, Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader also said the government is watching whether BUET is being made into "a hub of ill politics and militants."

Besides, the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is monitoring whether any banned organisation is operating in the name of the ongoing movement at BUET, said DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid.

The BUET administration imposed a ban on student politics after Abrar Fahad, a second-year student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, was beaten to death by BCL activists at Sher-e-Bangla Hall on October 7, 2019.

Later, on December 8, 2021, a Dhaka court sentenced 20 BUET students to death and five others to life imprisonment for the death of Abrar.