Protests at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) have intensified following the online joining of its newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, with students announcing fresh programmes for Friday.
They will bring out a protest procession on the campus after Jumma prayers. They will also hold a graffiti and wall-writing programme at the Central Shaheed Minar premises from 4pm, according to the protesters.
The programmes are part of the students’ ongoing movement demanding the reinstatement of recently removed Vice-Chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem.
On Thursday evening, students staged a torch procession on the campus as part of the same movement. Carrying torches, students came out from different residential halls and gathered at Swadhinata Chattar.
The procession then moved through various campus roads before ending at the basketball ground.
Meanwhile, the Cuet Teachers’ Association has joined the students’ movement, announcing a total work abstention demanding Sayem’s reinstatement.
The association took the decision unanimously at an emergency meeting on Thursday night, said its president, Professor Md Ahsanullah.
According to the association, the work boycott began from Thursday night and will continue until further notice. Officers and employees of the university have also joined the movement.
The teachers’ decision came only hours after Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam formally joined Cuet as the new vice-chancellor through an online process on Thursday.
Prof Shariful Alam confirmed that his joining had been completed online and that the education secretary had accepted his joining letter. The university administration, district administration and other relevant authorities had also been informed, he said.
The new VC said he would visit the campus soon and hold discussions with all relevant stakeholders.
Students began protesting on the night of 21 September demanding the reinstatement of Prof Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem.
From the following day, they launched a total campus shutdown, which continued through Thursday for the third consecutive day.
As part of the movement, students have formed a human chain and held mass signature campaign, sit-in, press conference and torch procession.
They have also sent an open letter to the prime minister outlining their demands.
With the Teachers’ Association now joining the movement, the standoff at CUET has widened.
The association has warned that it may announce tougher programmes if its demand for Sayem’s reinstatement is not met.
