Hundreds of students besieged the vice-chancellor and proctor in front of the administrative building at Jahangirnagar University (JU) for an hour yesterday, the third day of demonstration for resumption of classes.

The students also submitted a memorandum to the VC demanding resumption of classes and examinations by December 14.

VC Prof Jasim Uddin Ahmad and Proctor Dr Moshiur Rahman were besieged by the agitating students from 12:30pm to 1:30pm in front of the administrative building, as the authorities did not take any initiative to end the stalemate till yesterday, the 27th day of an indefinite strike called by Jahangirnagar University Teachers Association to press their three-point demand. The demands include election to VC panel.

The students started the demonstrations at around 12 noon at the foot of Amar Ekushey, a sculpture. They paraded down the campus carrying placards and reached the administrative building at 12:15pm to submit a memorandum to the VC who was not there.

The proctor came down from the building and tried to pacify the agitating students, failing which he called Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's (JCD) JU unit organising secretary to the building to force the students back to their dormitories.

Angered by the presence of Organising Secretary Nazmul Hasan Ovi, the students besieged the proctor in front of the building and locked all the entrants to the building, leaving the employees of the building trapped inside.

Ovi however fled the scone in the face of students' protest.

At 12:30pm, the VC drove to the building in a private car only to be besieged by the students. The students then read out the memorandum and handed it over to him, asking him to give a written statement on the resumption of classes by December 14.

Meanwhile, the authorities have closed the university for 33 days on the occasions of Eid-ul-fitr, Martyred

Intellectuals' Day, Shab-e-Qadr, and Victory Day. The classes and examinations at JU will remain suspended from November 15 to December 18.

"The VC closed the university in the face of demonstrations to silence the students' voice. The long-term closure is meaningless," a JU syndicate member, preferring anonymity, said.