The Rajshahi University authority''s indifference to students'' demand for security at residential halls for long was the cause behind Saturday''s violence on the campus, several senior teachers and student leaders said while talking to The Daily Star.

Meanwhile teachers and students continued protests demanding removal of RU Vice-chancellor Prof Faisul Islam Faruki and Proctor Prof Shamsul Alam Sarker. They are also protesting inclusion in the probe committee of a teacher who was allegedly involved in the attacks on teachers students.

The violence damaged over Tk 1.5 crore property of the university according to preliminary estimate by the university authorities.

Entry of three youths into Taposhi Rabeya Hall that triggered Saturday''s violence was not an isolated incident,Progressive Teachers Association Convenor Prof Entajul Haque said.

"RU authorities did never respond to students'' repeated

complaints of incidents of snatching and theft at halls", the senior Chemistry teacher said.

"How much negligence (of the authorities) the students will bear?" asked Zoology teacher Prof Anada Kumar Shaha. "The violence was the result of accumulated dissatisfaction of students for long", he said.

RU Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) President Motiar Rahman said, "Crime incidents were regular at dormitories for male and female students but they even did not get the authorities'' assurance of improvement of the situation".

"Such violence (Saturday''s incident) would not have taken place had the authorities shown the slightest intention to improve the situation", said RU Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) President Rezaul Karim.

Karim said entry of outsiders into the campus resulted in the January 14 and 15 incidents that left one ICS worker killed and many hurt.

Activists of JCD and ICS, student bodies of ruling parties, had played roles against general students during Saturday''s violence, but withdrew themselves after deployment of BDR and additional police.

Monira Islam Mony, Bangladesh Chhatra League leader at Rokeya Hall said at least a dozen memorandums were submitted to the hall and university authorities since 2001 for security of female students.

"Students at dormitories had long been seething with pent-up anger as the authorities only formed probe committees that never yielded any result", she said.

On October 17 night, thieves took away money and valuables worth Tk 10,000 from 12 rooms on the second and third floors of Rokeya Hall, sources said.

The girl students staged a demonstration on the campus next morning demanding security at halls and submitted a memorandum to the VC. The angry students also confined Provost Dr Tahmina Alam at her office for some time but there was no action.

The Pro VC visited the hall and rescued the provost, assuring the students of steps for security.

On October 22, valuables and money were stolen from five rooms of Khaleda Zia Hall and three rooms of Munnujan Hall. The students blamed hall security guards and employees for this.

Even the halls are not secure during vacations. RU was cosed sine die following the January 15 clashes. After the vacation, many students found their rooms unlocked and goods stolen, many students said.

Authority''s version Acting VC Prof KHM Shahadat Hossain Mondol said, "The incidents of violence were preplanned by female leaders of left leaning student bodies ".

Talking to The Daily Star, Mondol explained that some of the female leaders tried on several occasions in recent past to create chaos over incidents of theft but they failed.

"Drastic action will be taken against those female students who led to the creation of Saturday violence. We have recorded their actions in video cameras", he said.

Mondol found logic behind students'' wrath but said their demand for resignation of the Proctor and Tapashi Rabeya Hall provost were not justified.

RU register Prof Abdus Salam also believes that entry of

outsiders should have been dealt with seriously earlier. He said lack of coordination between teachers and students was responsible for the violence.

"Students should not be unruly", he said.

Meanwhile many students these correspondents talked to said the seven-member probe committee headed by

Pro-Vice Chancellor KHM Shahadat Hossian Mondol will not be able make an impartial investigation into the incident because it includes a teacher who was involved in the attacks. They alleged that pro Jamaat teacher Abu Daud Hasan, a member of the probe body, was involvement in the attacks.

BCL central vice president Zahir Uddin Md Lipton, joint secretary Saifuzzaman Shekhor and Quamruzzaman Chanchal at press conference on Monday rejected the probe committee and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.

The students are also demanding removal of the controversially appointed employees who were allegedly involved in attacks on students and teachers during Saturday''s violence.

At least 40 buses were damaged and offices at a dozen buildings were ransacked during the violence.