Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) held a torchlit procession demanding the reinstatement of the recently former vice-chancellor, Dr Abu Shadat Muhammad Sayem.
The students observed the programme on the university campus on the evening of Thursday.
At around 6:30pm, students brought out processions with torches in hand from various residential halls across the university. The processions later assembled at Swadhinata Chattar, where the students chanted various slogans, including “Tomar VC, amar VC — Sayem Sir, Sayem Sir” and “We Want Sayem Sir”.
From Swadhinata Chattar, the combined procession marched along various roads of the university and concluded at the basketball ground. At the basketball ground, the students expressed their protest by lighting candles.
Speaking at the programme, Mehedi Hasan, a third-year student of the Department of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, said, “The torches lighting up together in the dark are a symbol of the unity and determination of our movement.”
“Sayem Sir is a person of versatile qualities, and he was a teacher and vice-chancellor who was highly acceptable to the students,” Hasan noted, adding that CUET was moving forward during his 56-day tenure.
He also said, “We cannot accept the sudden decision to remove him from responsibility under any circumstances, and our movement will continue until he is reappointed as Vice-Chancellor; our only demand is that we want Sayem Sir as vice-chancellor again.”
