Prof Dr Mohammad Iqbal has officially assumed his responsibilities as the new vice-chancellor (VC) of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) on Sunday, continuing his administrative duties despite ongoing campus instability.
The campus remains tense as activists from Islami Chhatra Shibir, operating under the “general students” banner, persist with their demonstrations.
Normal movement and university operations have been significantly hindered for the past two days due to the closure of the main gate. In response to the unrest, police at the Sadar Metro Police Station have filed a case against 200 to 250 unidentified individuals.
The accused face charges of obstructing government duties, assault, vandalism, arson, and causing injuries to police officers and students during clashes on Sunday.
Conflicting press conferences
The university witnessed a series of counter-press conferences on Monday involving Shibir, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), and the Teachers’ Association.
Speaking at a press conference at the Shaheed Minar premises, Aman Ullah, a fourth-year student of the Civil Engineering department and a Shibir activist, declared the new VC “persona non grata.”
He argued that the university administration should be formed from internal faculty members, rather than appointing an “outsider.”
The protesters have threatened to continue their movement – potentially leading to a complete campus shutdown – if the appointment is not revoked before the Eid holidays.
Conversely, the DUET branch of the JCD held a press conference on Monday afternoon, alleging that the protests are a calculated attempt to obscure the corruption of the former VC, Professor Joynal Abedin.
JCD leaders, including President Jamirul Islam Jamil, Senior Vice-President Rukon Ali, General Secretary Abdul Quadir, and Joint Secretary Rakibul Islam, claimed that the former VC was involved in recruitment trade, admission irregularities, and corruption in development projects.
They claimed that certain quarters are creating instability to prevent the new VC from exposing these financial anomalies.
The JCD further alleged that a group backed by Jamaat-Shibir is using the “General Students” banner to destabilise the campus. They reported that when the new VC attempted to enter the campus on Sunday, he was blocked by Shibir activists and outsiders, leading to violence.
Injuries and security measures
The violence on Sunday resulted in at least 15 injuries, including students, police personnel, the Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), and journalists.
Professor Dr Mohammad Iqbal stated that he is currently conducting regular administrative activities and that the situation is being brought under control. “For security reasons, instructions have been given to check ID cards at the main gate. Discussions are ongoing with all stakeholders to keep university activities operational,” he said, expressing hope that normalcy would return soon.
The DUET Teachers’ Association issued a statement expressing deep concern over the violence.
While acknowledging that peaceful protest and the presentation of logical demands are constitutional rights, the association strongly condemned the attacks on students, the use of intimidation, and the interference of outsiders in university affairs.
