CUET Students Call Fresh Shutdown

The Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) has assigned Professor Kazi Delwar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the routine administrative and academic responsibilities of the vice-chancellor during the latter’s absence. Protesting students have announced a day-long academic shutdown for Monday, November 2, in response to the decision. All classes and examinations will remain suspended during the shutdown.

An email notification informed Professor Delwar Hossain of the assignment. It said Vice-Chancellor Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam would be in Dhaka on Monday to attend a meeting of the University Grants Commission (UGC). To maintain the university’s regular administrative and academic activities during his absence, Professor Delwar Hossain has been authorised to perform the vice-chancellor’s routine administrative and academic duties alongside his own responsibilities.

According to the email, the assignment took effect on the afternoon of November 1. Professor Delwar Hossain will continue in the role until the vice-chancellor returns to his workplace and resumes his duties on the evening of November 2.

Commenting on the arrangement, the vice-chancellor said, “I am travelling to Dhaka for official work. In my absence, Professor Dr Delwar Hossain, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will perform the routine responsibilities.”

In an emergency statement issued on Sunday evening, students announced a comprehensive academic shutdown for Monday in protest against the decision. The statement said students had returned to classes and examinations after a prolonged movement and academic deadlock, taking into account their academic future and the university’s learning environment.

However, they maintained that they did not recognise the newly appointed vice-chancellor and would not accept any intervention by him in the campus’s regular activities.

The statement further alleged that the university administration had disregarded the students’ previously announced position by assigning routine vice-chancellor duties to another person. The students said they rejected what they described as an attempt to exercise authority over the campus through another individual while the vice-chancellor remained away.

During the shutdown, students will boycott all classes, examinations and administrative activities conducted under the routine-duty arrangement. Their demand is the reinstatement of former vice-chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.

Mahatab Haque, a fourth-year student at the university, said, “After a prolonged movement, we returned to classes and examinations considering our academic future. But the decision to assign routine vice-chancellor duties to another person, disregarding our previously announced position, is unacceptable. That is why we have called the shutdown for tomorrow. We want Professor Sayem reinstated. Our movement will continue until our demands are met.”

//DBTech/CRH/SME/MIST//