KUET Conflict: Campus Clashes over Vice Chancellor’s Resignation Demand
Teachers, officers, and staff of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) staged a silent procession, human chain, and rally on Wednesday (April 16) opposing the one-point demand by students for the resignation of the Vice Chancellor. The procession began at around 12:45 PM in front of the administrative building and ended with a rally and human chain at the foot of Durbar Bangla.
During the event, teachers and officials alleged that the students were harassing the Vice Chancellor and expressed their protest. Senior KUET faculty member Professor Dr. M.M.A. Hashem stated, “The students are on the wrong path. They broke the lock and entered the hall, which is a legal violation. They should not have broken the lock, as it was placed based on a Syndicate decision.”
Professor Dr. Salauddin Yusuf of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering added, “On February 18, the students physically assaulted the Vice Chancellor. That was unacceptable.”
KUET Teachers’ Association President Professor Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam remarked, “We strongly reject the one-point demand for the Vice Chancellor’s resignation. Our single demand is that no student found guilty should go unpunished. None of us will return to class until justice is served.”
Section Officer Imdadul said, “On February 18, I personally witnessed students physically assaulting the Vice Chancellor. They hurled obscene abuses at him—words I had never heard before. When I tried to protect him, they attacked me too.”
University staff member Imdad Morol stated, “We are not willing to accept the students’ irrational demands. Some students not only verbally abused and beat the Vice Chancellor but even spat on him. Now they’ve launched a movement targeting his removal.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night, students began occupying the residential halls in protest. They claimed the KUET administration had disconnected water and internet supply to the halls. In response, students held a protest march from the Durbar Bangla square demanding the Vice Chancellor’s resignation. The procession moved through various parts of the campus, with posters being put up on walls. Currently, the students are staging a sit-in in front of the Student Welfare Center.
Toufiq, a 2019 batch student from Amar Ekushey Hall, said, “Even though we’ve returned to the halls, we’re facing a severe water crisis. The internet has been disconnected. The water stored in tanks two months ago is no longer usable. The hall is still without appointed staff. We’ve informed the Provost about our issues, and he said he would convey them to the authorities.” He added, “Due to the July movement, our academic activities were halted for two months. Altogether, we’ve lost four to five months, which has seriously affected us.”
Following the protest, students held a press briefing at the Student Welfare Center, issuing a stern warning to the interim government. They demanded the immediate removal of the Vice Chancellor, withdrawal of student suspensions, and the dismissal of all legal cases filed against them. They also called for the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor to resume normal academic operations. “If these demands are not met, a ‘new July’ will unfold against this interim government. This will be our war against advisor Asif Nazrul and against those student leaders who, riding on the sacrifices of our blood, are now in power,” the students declared.
Responding to the students’ allegations, Dr. Saiful Islam, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Student Welfare in Khulna, said, “Two months ago, the university’s residential halls were sealed based on a Syndicate decision. The internet and water lines in the halls have remained as they were. The university authorities did not disconnect the internet or cut off water supplies. The students’ allegations are therefore false and baseless.”
