CUET students reject new VC
Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) on Saturday staged a protest rally and showed red cards to newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, rejecting his appointment.
The protest came amid an ongoing movement by students demanding the reinstatement of former VC Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem. Teachers and officials of the university have also begun a work abstention in support of the demand, disrupting academic and administrative activities.
The students began their procession around 2pm from a road near the university’s medical centre, holding red cards. Students from different residential halls joined the rally, which passed through various campus roads before ending at the Shaheed Minar premises after passing through Swadhinata Chattar.
During the procession, students chanted slogans including “We don’t accept an online VC” and “Red card to online VC”.
Sakibur Rahman, a fourth-year student of the Civil Engineering Department, said Professor Sayem had taken several student-friendly initiatives during his 56-day tenure to modernise the university.
He criticised the new VC’s reported description of the movement as a protest involving only 30-35 students, saying hundreds of students from each residential hall had joined the demonstrations voluntarily.
The students had been staying at the university’s main gate since Friday night amid reports that the newly appointed VC might arrive on campus. They continued monitoring vehicles and people entering the campus on Saturday morning.
Students also painted protest and satirical graffiti on walls near important campus areas and academic buildings, demanding withdrawal of the decision to replace Sayem and his reinstatement.
How the movement intensified
The protests began after the government removed Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem as CUET VC and appointed Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, a professor of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at KUET, to the post on September 21.
Initially, students held several programmes demanding Sayem’s reinstatement. The movement later expanded to include a campus shutdown, human chains, rallies and a mass signature campaign.
On the third day of the movement, students organised a signature campaign at the Central Shaheed Minar, where participants signed with their identification cards in support of Sayem’s reinstatement.
Protest graffiti, slogans and other programmes continued alongside the shutdown on the fourth day.
Teachers, officials join protest
CUET Teachers’ Association announced a full work abstention, except for essential services, following an emergency virtual meeting on the night of September 24.
The university’s Officers’ Association and Employees’ Association also expressed solidarity with the movement.
The students’ shutdown, sit-in at the main gate and the work abstention by teachers and officials have disrupted normal academic and administrative activities.
Tension over new VC’s remarks
Tensions escalated after the newly appointed VC reportedly described the ongoing movement as a “small” one and claimed that only 30-35 students were staying on campus. He also said preparations were underway to welcome him after the campus gates were opened.
In response, protesting students announced the red-card programme against him and held the procession on Saturday.
Students have also scheduled a press conference at 4pm to announce their next course of action and provide an update on the movement.
Meanwhile, female students held a protest procession on Friday night, after which protesters locked the VC’s office.
The protests and student sit-ins continued on Saturday, leaving uncertainty over when the new VC will join the university and normal academic activities will resume.
The protesting students said they would continue their movement until Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem is reinstated.
