CUET shutdown: Students block main gate against new VC’s entry

Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) on Tuesday took position at the university’s main gate to prevent newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam from entering the campus.

The students began an all-out shutdown in the morning and locked the main gate in protest against the removal of Professor Dr Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem as vice-chancellor.

They chanted slogans demanding Sayem’s reinstatement as VC, including, “We have only one demand, we want Sayem sir as VC.”

Sakib Hasan, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said students had been protesting since Monday night against Sayem’s removal without prior notice or explanation.

“Against the removal of our VC without any prior reason or explanation, we have been holding protests since last night. As part of this, we announced a campus shutdown today. Our programme will continue until our demands are met,” he told Daily Waadaa.

Professor Sayem, a professor of CUET’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, was appointed vice-chancellor on July 27.

The students’ protest followed Monday’s decision to remove Sayem as CUET VC and appoint Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) as his replacement.

Following the decision, students also locked the vice-chancellor’s residence and announced a shutdown of all academic and administrative activities until further notice.

Meanwhile, the CUET Teachers’ Association, following an emergency meeting on Monday night, urged the government to revoke the order and reinstate Professor Sayem as vice-chancellor.