UIU Uproar: Unrest Over Resignation Row
Tensions at the private United International University (UIU) in Dhaka’s Uttara escalated following the viral spread of a Facebook post by a female student. Subsequent to student protests pressing for three major demands, internet speed was throttled, prompting calls for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and the Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). Eventually, the university’s verified Facebook page published a letter announcing the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor and twelve faculty members.
These two Facebook posts seem to have thrown the private university into disarray. Even after midnight on Saturday, around 25 teachers and staff members remained confined. During this time, the students demanded the withdrawal of resignation letters from all but the two accused teachers. Around midnight, students created a path for everyone except the Vice-Chancellor and the CSE department head to exit the premises. Subsequently, after 1:00 AM on early Sunday, a six-member delegation from the Private University Students Alliance of Bangladesh (PUSAB), which was leading the protests, sat for discussions with the Vice-Chancellor. The university's administrative system has been severely disrupted as a result.
According to university sources, students lined both sides of a pathway like a human chain to allow teachers to leave respectfully. Most teachers took this opportunity to exit. However, it remained unclear whether Vice-Chancellor Professor Abul Kashem Mia and CSE Department Head Professor Nurul Huda were still confined or had left.
Investigations revealed that recently, the father of a student from the Computer Science and Engineering department had passed away. After the exam had been held, the student applied to sit for the mid-term examination. In response, the department head, Professor Dr. Mohammad Nurul Huda, demanded a death certificate from her.
The student posted about the incident on Facebook, and her post went viral. Following this, students demanded the resignation of Professor Nurul Huda and launched a movement.
As per prior announcement, students began a sit-in protest from 9:00 AM on Saturday. By afternoon, they declared a hunger strike unto death. In response, the Vice-Chancellor, Deans, and Department Heads announced their collective resignations during the night.
Additionally, several other officials, including Deans and Department Heads, also submitted their resignations. They addressed their resignation letters to the Vice-Chancellor, stating, “In protest against the unjust demands of some students, we, the undersigned, are resigning from our respective administrative positions at United International University.”
The letter was signed by Md. Rezwan Khan, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering (SOSE) and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering; Dr. Hasan Sarwar; Mohammad Omar Faruq; Khondoker Abdullah Al Mamun; Md. K. Masukur Rahman; Dr. Tahmina Faiz; Dr. Suman Ahmed; Dr. Jannatun Nur Mukta; Dr. S. M. Rafiqul Islam; and Director (Coordination) Professor A. S. M. Salauddin.
However, the protesting students objected to the phrase "some students" used in the Facebook post and announced the continuation of their protest. Their clear demand was that the resignation letters must acknowledge the protests as being on behalf of "all the students of the university" and not just "some students."
The university authorities took a different stance, arguing that the number of participating students was between 300 and 350 out of a total enrollment of approximately 8,000 students. Therefore, according to the Vice-Chancellor, the wording in the resignation letters reflected accurate information. However, the protesting students rejected this argument.
Earlier on Saturday morning, students of United International University (UIU) launched protests based on three demands. Their movement began with a sit-in on campus, eventually escalating to a hunger strike unto death to press for their demands.
The three major demands raised by the students were:
First, the resignation of Professor Dr. Mohammad Nurul Huda, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, over allegations of inhumane treatment of students, obstructing UIU Reform 1.0 and the July Revolution, demanding a death certificate from a student after her father’s death, denying an ICU-returned student the opportunity to sit for exams, and creating a monopolized syndicate within the department.
Second, the restoration of the previous mid-term exam duration, which had been shortened by 15 minutes.
Third, the immediate implementation of all previously accepted demands under UIU Reform 1.0, especially setting the improvement exam fees at 2,000 BDT per course for mid-term examinations and 3,000 BDT for final examinations.
