CUET Students Lock Vice-Chancellor Inside Building

Students at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) locked the gate of the vice-chancellor’s building from outside on Monday, October 12, while Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam was inside. The incident took place amid an ongoing protest against his appointment and demands for the reinstatement of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.

At around 12:30 pm, students were gathered outside the vice-chancellor’s building, chanting slogans including, “Our demands must be met” and “Reject, reject, reject the new VC.”

According to university sources, protesters began gathering outside the building at around 9:30 am after learning that the new vice-chancellor would arrive on campus. They gave him an ultimatum to leave his office by noon. After 12 pm, they locked the building’s gate. The protesting students also said they had disconnected the building’s electricity supply.

Following the locking of the gate, CUET Chhatra Dal President Wasif Rashed and several other leaders and activists of the organisation were also trapped inside with the vice-chancellor. Speaking over phone while inside the locked building, Wasif Rashed said, “They are protesting against a government decision. Even this morning, one of our leaders was harassed while bringing flowers.”

According to student sources, shortly after the vice-chancellor arrived on campus, CUET Chhatra Dal Organising Secretary Biplob Hossain was taking flowers and food to his office. Protesters stopped him from entering the building. At one point, they took the flowers and food from him and threw them away.

On September 21, Sheikh Shariful Alam was appointed CUET vice-chancellor, replacing Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem. In protest against the appointment and demanding Sayem’s reinstatement, students began a “complete shutdown” the following day. Locking the vice-chancellor’s building was part of that programme. Teachers, officers and employees have also been observing a work stoppage over the same demands since that day.

The ongoing protests had prevented the newly appointed vice-chancellor from visiting the campus until Monday. However, on Monday morning, he broke the lock on the vice-chancellor’s building and entered his office with CUET Chhatra Dal leaders.

According to university sources, the vice-chancellor arrived on campus in a HiAce microbus. At the entrance, he identified himself only as a “teacher” before entering. He later went to the vice-chancellor’s building with Chhatra Dal leaders and broke the lock on its gate to enter his office.

During a visit to the building in the morning, Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam was seen sitting in the chair designated for the vice-chancellor. CUET Chhatra Dal President Wasif Rashed, Joint General Secretary Abu Sufian Al Sabit and Organising Secretary Biplob Hossain were present in his office. Asked about their entry, Abu Sufian Al Sabit said, “We entered together.”

//DBTech/CGR/SME/MIST//