DUET Campus Turns Violent Over Vice-Chancellor Appointment
The campus of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) in Gazipur turned into a battleground on Sunday following clashes over the appointment of the university’s new Vice-Chancellor (VC).
The violence began around 10:00am in front of the university’s main gate and later spread across the campus, involving repeated chases, counter-chases, brick-batting, and physical confrontations between opposing groups. At least 15 people from both sides were reportedly injured.
Law enforcement agencies, including members of the Gazipur District Police, have been deployed across the campus to control the situation.
According to Gazipur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aminul Islam, authorities appointed Professor Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Hossain as the new Vice-Chancellor of DUET on Thursday, May 14. Soon after the appointment notification was issued, students began protesting inside the campus that night and eventually locked the university’s main gate.
The OC said that when students resumed their protest on Sunday morning, a group of outsiders allegedly entered the campus in support of the newly appointed VC and attacked the protesting students, triggering the violent clashes.
Students participating in the demonstrations argued that DUET, as a specialized engineering university, has academic and administrative realities that differ significantly from those of conventional universities. They demanded that the Vice-Chancellor should be appointed from among the university’s own qualified faculty members rather than bringing in an outsider.
According to the protesters, both teacher representatives and general students of DUET have long been raising this demand.
Commenting on the overall situation, Gazipur Superintendent of Police Md. Sharif Uddin said tensions had been escalating on campus for the past two days following the VC appointment, ultimately leading to Sunday’s unrest.
He added that additional police personnel remain deployed on campus and efforts are ongoing to restore order. As of the latest reports, a tense atmosphere continued to prevail in and around the university area.
DBTech/NI/MI/OR
