‘Complete shutdown’ at CUET over VC replacement, main gate locked - Prothom Alo English
Students have locked the main gate of CUET in protest against the decision to replace the vice-chancellor.Prothom AloStudents have locked the main gate of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) in protest against the decision to replace the vice-chancellor.
They subsequently began a 'complete shutdown' programme, halting classes, examinations and academic activities in all departments of the university from Tuesday morning.
At around 8:30am, students put a lock on the university’s main gate. They then took up position there and announced the 'complete shutdown' programme.
During the protest, they chanted slogans demanding the reinstatement of recently removed vice-chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem.
The students said they would not accept the decision to remove Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem from his post and appoint a new vice-chancellor. They said their programme would continue until he is reinstated.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Pritam Saha, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering who was taking part in the programme, said, “We want Sayem Sir as the vice-chancellor. This is our only demand. He should complete his full term of responsibility and then leave. Not before that. We will continue our programme with this demand.”
The shutdown has brought the university’s academic and administrative activities to a halt. Official operations at the university have also remained suspended. Around 10am, the CUET Teachers’ Association held a human chain in front of the vice-chancellor’s office, making the same demand.
University Registrar Professor Humayun Kabir told Prothom Alo, “We have a teachers’ association at our university. Through a general meeting, a demand was made for the recently removed vice-chancellor to be reinstated. As a teacher, I support that demand.”
On Monday night, students also held a protest procession on campus demanding the reinstatement of Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem.
After the procession, they locked the vice-chancellor’s office building.
Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem was appointed vice-chancellor of CUET on 27 July. Just 56 days after he assumed office, he was removed on Monday and Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) was appointed as CUET’s new vice-chancellor.
