CUET Students Protest for VC Reinstatement

Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) staged a human chain and sit-in outside the Chittagong Press Club on Tuesday, October 6, demanding the reinstatement of Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem as the university’s vice-chancellor. The protest marked the first time the students took their movement beyond the CUET campus, as the prolonged shutdown continues to disrupt academic and administrative activities.

The one-hour programme began at 3:30pm. More than 100 students travelled from CUET, around 23 kilometres from the Press Club area, in five buses to join the protest. Other CUET students staying at different locations across the city also joined the programme.

Students held placards reading “Prime Minister’s intervention to reopen CUET”, “CUET Revolts for Sayem Sir” and “PM, Consider Our Appeal”. They also chanted slogans including “One point, one demand, resign the online VC” and “Our only demand, we want Sayem Sir as VC”.

Addressing the human chain, Asadullah Hil Galib, a fourth-year student of the Department of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, said, “We have been carrying out a peaceful movement for 15 days. But so far, we have not seen any effective initiative to resolve this crisis. We condemn this. It is an unprecedented example in the history of Bangladesh that students, teachers and employees of a university are all demanding the reinstatement of one person as vice-chancellor. We hope the government will respect our demand and reinstate Sayem Sir as vice-chancellor.”

Fourth-year students Ahnaf Shahriar Arnab, Mahira Tajrin and Zulkarnain Mihad read out a written statement at the programme. They said there was no logical reason for the CUET crisis to continue. The prolonged disruption was affecting classes, examinations, research and the students’ academic futures.

According to their statement, the students were not taking a position against the state but were seeking a fair reconsideration of an administrative decision.

They also demanded a quick and clear government decision to restore a normal academic environment at CUET and consider reinstating Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem in view of the initiatives planned and undertaken during his 56-day tenure. They also called for direct intervention by the Prime Minister.

Imdadul Haque, a third-year student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering who joined the programme, said, “We have been peacefully demanding the reinstatement of Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem as vice-chancellor for a long time. But no effective decision has yet been made regarding our demand. We have therefore been compelled to come outside the campus to raise our demand. We want the government to consider the matter quickly, resolve the ongoing CUET crisis and reinstate Sir.”

On September 21, Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem was removed as CUET vice-chancellor, and Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology was appointed as his replacement. Students launched their movement the same day, protesting the change after only 56 days of Sayem’s tenure.

The following day, September 22, students began a “complete shutdown” programme. On the 14th day of the movement, academic and administrative activities at the university remained suspended. During the movement, students organised several programmes, including a red-card demonstration, torch procession and masked procession.

With no resolution yet on their demand for Sayem’s reinstatement, the deadlock at CUET continues, leaving academic and administrative activities disrupted.

//DBTech/Ebas Hossen/SME/SMP//