KUET to Resume Classes After Prolonged Political Standoff
After a closure spanning over five months and ten days, classes at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) are set to resume on Tuesday, July 29, following violent clashes over demands to ban student politics on campus.
The decision was announced by newly appointed Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Maksud Helali, following a series of meetings on Sunday, July 27, with faculty members, administrative staff, and student representatives. Dr. Helali, a retired professor from BUET’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, told reporters in the evening, “If everything goes as planned, classes will resume from Tuesday, inshallah. I request all students to return to their halls and residences by Monday.”
KUET Deputy Registrar Abdur Rahman confirmed that the VC had spent the day in multiple rounds of discussions with deans, teachers, hall committees, the teachers' association, and student representatives.
General Secretary of the KUET Teachers’ Association, Professor Dr. Md. Faruk Hossain, said, “We had fruitful discussions with the VC. A joint decision was reached to resume classes with the participation of students and teachers.” He added, “An official notice might be issued tomorrow (Monday), allowing students time to return. We expect classes to start on Tuesday.”
Mohammad Obaidullah, a student from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), who attended the meeting with the VC, confirmed that classes are expected to resume on Tuesday, and the official notice will be issued Sunday night. “The VC has instructed that examination dates be finalized through discussions with departmental heads,” he said, adding that the investigation process and other administrative procedures would continue in parallel with academic activities. The administration also assured students of their safety on campus.
Although administrative activities had resumed following two successive changes in the vice chancellorship, academic functions remained suspended due to ongoing unrest. The prolonged halt has raised concerns over potential session jams for KUET’s nearly 7,000 students.
KUET, originally established in 1967 as Khulna Engineering College under Rajshahi University, became Bangladesh Institute of Technology (BIT) in 1984 and was later upgraded to a full-fledged university on September 1, 2003. In its six-decade history, the university has not witnessed such an extended period of academic disruption.
The latest spell of turmoil began on February 18, when clashes erupted between supporters of the student wing of the opposition and a student movement demanding a ban on campus politics. Over 50 students were injured. That evening, students accused the then-vice chancellor of favoritism towards the attackers and demanded his resignation, locking down administrative and academic buildings the following day.
On February 18, around 4:00 PM, students confined the vice chancellor in the university's medical center. He was released the next day at around 5:15 PM. Despite being held, he presided over an emergency Syndicate meeting virtually on February 19.
On February 21, students padlocked the VC’s residence, and he only returned to his home on the night of February 24. Students issued an ultimatum for him to leave by 10:30 AM on February 25. Subsequently, the university was declared closed indefinitely, and students were ordered to vacate their dormitories.
In the wake of the violence, a Syndicate meeting on April 14 temporarily suspended 37 students. Protesting the suspensions, students launched a renewed movement, including a hunger strike by 32 students starting April 21.
To resolve the crisis, a delegation from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Education Advisor Professor C. R. Abrar visited KUET on April 23. The hunger strike ended after assurances were made, and the government soon announced that both Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Maqsud and Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam would be removed.
On May 1, the Ministry of Education appointed Professor Md. Hazrat Ali from the Department of Civil Engineering at CUET as interim vice chancellor. Although classes were set to resume on May 4, teachers abstained, citing the lack of disciplinary action against those involved in the assault on faculty. On May 18, they also boycotted administrative duties. Professor Hazrat Ali resigned from his post on May 22.
Following extensive consultation and leadership restructuring, the academic limbo is finally coming to an end as KUET prepares to reopen its classrooms.
