The discussion will be held in Sylhet, not Dhaka: SUST students

The protesting students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Friday remained resolute around their sole demand: nothing except the resignation, or otherwise removal of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed can lead to a resolution of the crisis.

It was a day when students got to speak with Education Minister Dipu Moni herself, as she reached out to the agitating students over phone at around 3 pm to try and end the impasse.

During the conversation, Dipu Moni said she wants a peaceful solution to the issue as soon as possible, and was willing to talk to the students 'directly' - i.e. in-person - over the matter, if they so wish.

The protesting students were indeed receptive to the idea of a meeting with the education minister, and were even willing to travel to Dhaka to meet her.

But in the evening they came away from that position, and said that if the minister wants to solve the problem, she had to visit the SUST premises, or hold the meeting virtually.

“We will not go to Dhaka - the discussion will be held in Sylhet, not in Dhaka," said Shahriar Abedin, a spokesperson for the protesters.

Earlier, a group of Bangladesh Awami League leaders led by its central organizing secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel spoke separately with the students and then Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin regarding the issue.

So far, 13 of the 24 SUST students who commenced a hunger strike since Wednesday ohave been hospitalized. The protesting students have vowed not to break their fast until the VC steps down.