KUET VC, Pro-VC resign

Staff Reporter :

In the face of student protests, Professor Dr. Muhammad Masud, Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), and Professor Dr. S.K. Shariful Alam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, have resigned.
An official from the Ministry of Education confirmed that they submitted their resignation letters to the ministry on Wednesday night.
According to the ministry, despite all efforts by the government to resolve the issue, when no solution was forthcoming, the ministry requested both individuals to resign. Following that request, they sent in their resignation letters.
As per protocol, their resignation letters will be forwarded to the Chancellor of the university, who is the President of the country. The resignations will be effective once the President approves them.
Earlier on Wednesday night, the Ministry of Education stated that, in light of the recent events at KUET and to resolve the crisis and quickly resume academic activities, the process of relieving the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of their duties had begun.
A search committee will be formed shortly to appoint new individuals to the two positions. In the meantime, a senior professor will be temporarily appointed as the Acting Vice-Chancellor to continue regular university operations, according to the Ministry of Education.
The unrest stems from a clash on February 18 between members of the student and youth wings of the BNP (Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal) and university students and local residents over demands to ban student politics on the campus. Over 50 people were injured in the violent incident. Following this, on February 25, the syndicate decided to shut down all academic activities and residential halls indefinitely.
Despite the ban, students re-entered the closed KUET campus on April 13.
On April 14, during the 101st emergency syndicate meeting, the university administration temporarily expelled 37 students in connection with the February 18-19 violence.
In response to these events, 29 students began a hunger strike on April 22, demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor Dr. Muhammad Masud.
On Wednesday, the Education Advisor attempted to persuade the students to end the hunger strike but failed. Students from Dhaka University and other universities also issued an ultimatum demanding the VC’s resignation.