"The university operation will be shut down if you fail to recruit them," threatened the mob.

Ruet VC professor ANM Anwarul Haque fell sick during the altercation and was rushed to his residence, campus sources said.

Showing utter disregard for the official procedures, the mob led by RCC commissioners and the BNP leaders ganged up on the VC after forcefully entering his office and charged him, "Why aren't you offering jobs to the local BNP men in the vacant positions in your university?"

They reminded the VC that he too was posted at the Ruet with blessings from the ruling party for his political identity.

More than a hundred local BNP, Juba Dal and Jamaat followers accompanied by RCC ward commissioners from wards 24, 25, 27 and 28 -- Alamgir Hossain, Tariqul Islam Paltu, Azab Ali and Monwara Begum -- gathered in front of the Ruet administrative building at around 11:30am to press their demand, said the sources.

Khazder Ali, Motihar thana unit BNP organising secretary and Bakul, Boalia thana unit BNP secretary, were also present during the agitation.

They demanded the VC appoint their party men in grade III and IV positions on an ad hoc basis before the end of the ruling four-party coalition government's tenure, sources said.

"Such incident is not new to the university," said Golam Murtuza, public relations officer for the university. The same agitating faces under the banner of 'Local Interest Protection Committee' vandalised Ruet offices only several months back pressing for the same demand, he added.

University teachers, students and the staff met with the VC following the incident and expressed their concern over the incident. They assured him that they would resist those elements in the future.