After a prolonged vacation, the Chittagong University (CU) reopens today amidst tense situation prevailing on campus following the murder of a BCL leader on Saturday allegedly by Shibir gunmen.

After a month-long Ramadan, Martyred Intellectuals Day, Victory Day, Eid-ul-Fitr and Christmas vacations, the prospect of resumption of classes still remains bleak as the CU unit of BCL announced continuation of its ongoing siege programme following the murder of their leader.

Ali Mortuza Chowdhury, senior vice-president of BCL's CU unit, was shot dead Saturday evening allegedly by Shibir gunmen while he was getting a shave at a barber's shop in Fateyabad adjoining the CU campus.

"We are determined to continue the siege programme on the campus for months together if necessary until the killers of Mortuza are tried," Nasir Haider Babul, general

secretary of BCL's CU unit told this correspondent yesterday.

Acting general secretary of the CU unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) Ferdous Morshad khan also blamed fundamentalist Shibir cadres for Mortuza's murder and demanded their arrest and exemplary punishment.

CU unit of BCL, and Jubo League and Awami League of Hathazari thana will jointly enforce a half-day strike today in North Chittagong including the university campus here in the district protesting the killing of Mortuza.

Meanwhile, CU authorities have asked all students to attend classes and secure their seats in their designated dormitories. The authorities have already taken all necessary measures in this regard, tightening security in and around the university to avert any untoward incident on the campus, university sources said.

A 14-member committee headed by Prof. Abu Saleh of the Department of Chemistry was formed yesterday to monitor the

prevailing situation and maintain security of the university.

A discussion meeting of the committee about the present situation was held in the afternoon yesterday with CUVC Prof. Fazle Hossain in the chair.

The other members of the committee are Dr. Mohammad Abdul Hai, Dr. Monindra Kumar Roy, Dr. Mohammad Anisul Islam, Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Prof. ANM Wahidur Rahman, Dr. AKM Shajahan Kabir, Dr. Mohammad Motiur Rahman, Dr. Mohammad Alauddin, Dr. Nurul Anwar, Proctor Prof. Mohammd Abdul Hakim, Dr. Mohammd Lutfur Rahman, Dr. Towhid Hossain Chowdhury and Dr. Siddiq Ahmed Chowdhury.

A deadlock has prevailed in the university since November 4 when BCL enforced an indefinite strike on campus protesting attack on a procession allegedly by Islami Chhatra Shibir that left 10 BCL men including it's president and general secretary injured on November 3.