Students of Jagannath University (JnU) burned an effigy of the University Registrar Prof Dr Sheikh Gias Uddin on Thursday to protest against his alleged harassment of students.

They also issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding his immediate resignation.

The students held a demonstration and insisted that Prof Dr Sheikh Gias Uddin be relieved of his duties within 24 hours. "If our demand is not met within due time, we will announce our next program,” they warned.

Kishore Anjum Sammo, joint member secretary of the Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Union, denounced the registrar as “an imperialist and a colonialist.”

“We refuse to study under a colonialist or in a spineless university authority. The administration will be held responsible if anything untoward happens to us,” he added.

Masud Rana, convener of JnU’s Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, the current registrar is an ally of the previous Sheikh Hasina-led dictatorial regime.

“He should return to his department, while he still can. We will not tolerate fascists in any administrative post.”

AKM Rakib, president of the JnU Chhatra Adhikar Parishad, said, Bangladesh remains backward because incompetent people are entrusted with responsibility everywhere.

Earlier, last Monday, Evan Tahsib, president of the JnU Chhatra Union, went to Prof Dr Sheikh Gias Uddin urging him to take appropriate steps over the theft of bicycles on university campus, and raised some other demands.

At the time, instead of addressing the issues, the registrar allegedly misbehaved with Evan Tahsib.