The Ministry of Education has initiated the process to relieve Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Mashud and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr. Sk. Shariful Alam . This information was provided by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting late on Wednesday (April 23) night.
The announcement also stated that the new vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor will be appointed through a search committee. This information has been provided by the Ministry of Education.
Why KUET students did Hunger Strike?
On February 18, over demands to end student politics, students clashed with supporters of the Chhatra Dal and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on campus, injuring more than 50 students. The next day, students locked down all academic buildings, including the administrative building.
That afternoon, the university’s syndicate meeting decided to suspend all political activities at KUET. A committee was formed to investigate the incident. That night, the administration filed a case against 400 to 500 unidentified people at Khanjahan Ali police station.
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On February 20, students held a protest rally on campus and showed red cards to all political student organizations. At the same time, they demanded the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
In continuation of the previous movement, a 24-hour ultimatum was given to the vice-chancellor to resign last Sunday, and the protesting students announced that they would go on a hunger strike until death if he did not resign within the stipulated time.
They claim that a few days ago, an outsider filed a case against 22 students. The KUET authorities have temporarily expelled 37 students. Among them are the protesting students. Despite repeated demands to the Vice-Chancellor, he has not implemented the students’ demands. More than fifty people were injured in a bloody clash between students and locals at KUET on February 18, following a dispute over a demand to ban student politics.
Following this incident, the syndicate meeting on February 25 announced the closure of academic activities and halls for an indefinite period. Ignoring the ban imposed by the authorities, the students entered the KUET campus, which was closed on April 13. At the university’s 101st emergency syndicate meeting held on the night of April 14, the university authorities temporarily expelled 37 students in connection with the violence at KUET on February 18 and 19.
In these incidents, 29 students had been on a hunger strike to death since the afternoon of April 22, demanding the removal of KUET Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr. Muhammad Mashud . On Wednesday, the education advisor tried to break the students’ hunger strike but failed. Students of other universities, including Dhaka University, also gave the VC an ultimatum to resign.
However, the KUET VC said that he would not resign on his own unless the government removed him. In the end, the government relieved him of his duties as VC.
Result of Students hunger strike
Today( 24 April),the Ministry of Education has initiated the process to relieve Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammad Mashud and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor SK Shariful Alam.
A press release sent by Public Relations Officer Md. Mamun Or Rashid said, “In light of the recent events at the university, the process of relieving the vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor of the university from their duties has been initiated in order to resolve the crisis that has arisen and to resume educational activities quickly.”
The announcement highlighted the formation of a search committee to fill these two positions, saying, “In the interim, in order to ensure the continuity of the university’s regular activities, one of the senior professors will be temporarily assigned the responsibility of Vice-Chancellor.”
The meeting also decided that the university’s academic activities will resume on May 4 as per the previous decision.
Meanwhile, Education Ministry Advisor CR Abrar reached the KUET campus around 9:45 am on Wednesday amid the students’ agitation. However, he could not dissuade them from their hunger strike even after speaking to them.
During this time, the protesting students continued to chant slogans against the vice-chancellor. Later, the education advisor spoke to the hunger strikers and other students for about 40 minutes. The students explained how the six-point demand turned into a single demand for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor.
The education advisor also called on Tuesday afternoon to inquire about the physical condition of the protesting students.
Many students have become physically weak on the third day of their hunger strike, but they remain adamant in their decision to continue the hunger strike until Vice Chancellor Muhammad Masud is removed. In this situation, a three-member team of the committee formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) went to the KUET campus on Wednesday.
