A group of students protesting against Bangladesh Chhatra League’s activities at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology have said they are suffering a deep sense of insecurity.

Two representatives of the students read out a statement at a press conference in front of the Shaheed Minar on the campus on Sunday.

They had announced demonstrations for Sunday, demanding expulsion of BCL activist Imtiaz Hossain Rahim who invited central leaders to the campus, but suspended the protests “out of fear over security”, the students said.

They said the campus and the surrounding areas have become “unsafe” for the protesters amid “continuous announcements on loudspeakers, threats via phone, rumours on social media, false tags on students, and publication of students’ names and photos in posters”.

The students said all but one those of the 20th batch refrained from taking term final exams on Sunday, and no student took the term final exams of the 22nd batch on Saturday as part of the protests.

They claimed their protests are not targeting BCL, but for the implementation of a complete ban on political activities on the campus.

BCL has also launched counter-demonstration against the cancellation of Rahim’s seat in a residential hall, and for restoration of student politics on the campus.

About allegations that banned Islamist militant outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir was instigating the protests, the students said they are aware of Hizb-ut posters hung on the campus by “outsiders”, leaflets and emails promoting the organisation’s cause to institutional addresses, but are not sure about their identities.

The students said they were waiting to see the verdict in a case against 34 students accused of plotting anti-state sabotage as members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the Jamaat-e-Islami’s student front.