Teachers and students at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) have stepped up their protests against the appointment of a new vice-chancellor and the delegation of his routine duties to another professor, demanding the reinstatement of former VC Sayem.
The Cuet Teachers’ Association called for intensified work abstention on Sunday, while students announced a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s residence, deepening a dispute that has already disrupted classes and examinations for weeks.
Teachers staged a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s building on Sunday morning, followed by a human chain in the afternoon.
In a statement, the association urged teachers to strengthen their ongoing full work abstention and sit-in programmes, including their previously announced refusal to perform assigned duties, until their demand is met.
The latest protests followed a decision by newly appointed VC Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam to assign his routine duties to Md Arafat Rahman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for 11 and 12 October while attending a University Grants Commission (UGC) meeting in Dhaka.
The assignment was communicated to Arafat Rahman by email on 9 October.
Students rejected the arrangement, questioning how the vice-chancellor could delegate responsibilities remotely when he was unable to enter the campus.
In a press release, they announced a sit-in outside the VC’s residence and reiterated their demand for Sayem’s immediate reinstatement.
Nafis Hasan Nafi, a fourth-year civil engineering student, said the prolonged deadlock was jeopardising students’ academic lives.
“We want the university’s prolonged deadlock to be resolved quickly so that our academic lives are not affected any further. We are protesting to demand the reinstatement of former VC Sayem. We will remain firm in our position until our demands are met,” he said.
The disruption has already prevented 15 examinations across different academic years from taking place, while classes have remained suspended for 12 working days, according to Teachers’ Association leader Md Samiun Basir, an associate professor in the Department of Water Resources Engineering.
He warned that a prolonged stalemate could create a major session backlog and urged the government to resolve the crisis promptly.
Samiun Basir said the association considered Sayem the only acceptable choice for vice-chancellor under the prevailing circumstances. He also urged the authorities to refrain from issuing similar appointment notifications in the future.
Meanwhile, questions have emerged over the procedure followed in assigning the vice-chancellor’s routine duties.
Teachers’ Association President Mohammad Ahsan Ullah said he had learnt of the decision through Facebook.
Cuet Controller of Examinations Md Moinul Islam said such assignments had traditionally been made through formal office orders specifying who would assume responsibility and for how long.
However, he said the university had received no office order concerning the latest arrangement.
The dispute began after Sayem was removed as vice-chancellor on 21 September and Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) was appointed in his place.
Students have been enforcing a “complete shutdown” since 22 September, while teachers, officers and employees have also observed work abstention demanding Sayem’s reinstatement.
Since then, classes, examinations and other academic activities remain suspended.
