Protests Continue at CUET for 11th Day Seeking Reinstatement of Vice-Chancellor
Chattogram, Bangladesh:
The protesters began their march from in front of the university's Central Mosque at around 2pm and paraded through several roads across the campus before ending the procession in front of the Central Shaheed Minar.
During the demonstration, students reiterated their demand that Professor Sayem be reinstated as vice-chancellor. They also said they would continue their movement until a decision was reached on their demand.
The CUET Teachers' Association and Employees' Association have also announced plans to resume a full work stoppage from Sunday in solidarity with the students.
Zulkarnaine Mihad, a fourth-year student in CUET's Department of Mechanical Engineering, said the students had been protesting for 11 days without seeing any concrete initiative from the authorities.“The longer the authorities delay taking action, the deeper the crisis will become. We have no alternative but to continue our movement. We will remain committed to our single demand,” he said.
Another fourth-year student, Arindam Dey, said students were frustrated by what they described as administrative silence and inaction.“We are all living with uncertainty. We want an end to this uncertainty. We have been appealing to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman from the very beginning to intervene and resolve the issue. We want to return to our classrooms,” he said.
According to the protesting students, regular classes and examinations at the university remain suspended. They have said academic activities will remain disrupted until their demand for Professor Sayem's reinstatement is addressed.
The students have carried out a series of protest programmes in recent days, including torchlight processions, red-card demonstrations and masked marches.
Teachers, officers and employees of the university have expressed solidarity with the students' movement. The continued work stoppage by university staff has also contributed to the suspension of regular academic and administrative activities on campus.
How the Movement Began
The dispute began following a government decision on September 21 to remove Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem from his position as CUET vice-chancellor.
On the same day, Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology was appointed vice-chancellor of CUET.
Students immediately protested the decision, staging a demonstration on the night of September 21. From September 22, they launched what they described as an “all-out shutdown” at the university.
Since then, students have organised a series of demonstrations demanding Professor Sayem's reinstatement, while classes and examinations have remained suspended.
The prolonged standoff has disrupted both academic and administrative operations at CUET. Students say they want the authorities to take effective steps to resolve the dispute and allow the university to return to normal academic activities.
For now, the students say their movement will continue until their single demand is addressed.
Comments
Post a Comment