CUET Steps Toward Normalcy as Teachers and Students Move to Resume Classes

Ending a 34-day deadlock, teachers and students at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have initiated steps to return to classrooms, while maintaining their ongoing movement for the reinstatement of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem. Meanwhile, a consultative committee formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) is scheduled to hold a dialogue with teachers, students, officers, and staff this coming Wednesday to resolve the ongoing crisis.

The crisis originated on September 21, when the Ministry of Education replaced CUET VC Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem with Professor Dr. Sheikh Sharifuzzaman from KUET. This decision sparked an immediate shutdown by students starting September 22, accompanied by continuous work abstention and non-cooperation programs by faculty members, officers, and staff, completely halting academic operations for over a month.

Students' Open Letter and Stance

In an open letter addressed to the faculty members on Sunday (October 25), students appealed for assistance in creating a conducive environment for resuming classes. They noted that prolonged suspension of academic activities has severely jeopardized their educational careers and future prospects. However, they clarified that returning to classrooms does not mean abandoning their core demand—the reinstatement of Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem. They warned that they would resume strict agitation if the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor attempts to enter the campus.

Masum Billah, a fourth-year student from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, stated that while students desperately want academic life to normalize to protect their futures, this return to classes does not compromise their principled stance and peaceful protests for Professor Sayem.

Faculty and Administrative Decisions

Responding to the students' initiative, the CUET Teachers Association convened a general meeting on Sunday noon, deciding to welcome students back to classrooms, with respective departments determining their own reopening schedules.

Furthermore, a joint meeting of the CUET Teachers Association, Officers Association, and Staff Association was held at the central auditorium on Sunday. According to the joint resolution, students were warmly urged to return to academic activities promptly to prevent further delays in their educational timeline. While maintaining total non-cooperation with the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, teachers, officers, and staff agreed to participate in and support routine academic functions. However, the previously declared work abstention and strict non-cooperation will remain aggressively in effect regarding any campus-centric activities involving the new VC.

Additionally, the Teachers Association strongly condemned the untoward incidents of October 14, expressing deep resentment over the entry of outsiders onto the campus and the ensuing clashes, while reiterating strict organizational discipline for all faculty members.

//DBTech/Rakib Hasan/MSI/MIST//