'Complete Shutdown' declared at DUET

Students protesting against the newly appointed Vice Chancellor have declared a ‘complete shutdown’ of the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) campus. As a result, academic and administrative activities of the university located in Gazipur have come to a virtual standstill.

The protesting students made the announcement on Tuesday (May 19). They have been protesting for the fifth consecutive day, declaring the Vice Chancellor ‘undesirable’. The students said that all activities on the campus will remain closed until further notice.

The students claim that as a specialized engineering university, DUET’s academic and administrative reality is different from other universities. Therefore, the VC should be appointed from within the university.

Their three-point demands include – cancellation of the appointment of the newly appointed VC, appointment of DUET’s own teacher as VC and ensuring justice for those involved in the recent clashes.

As part of the movement, the students had earlier held various programs including protest marches and road blockades. At least 20 people were injured in the clash between the two sides. After the incident, the police filed a case against about 250 unidentified people.

The newly appointed vice-chancellor took office on Monday but could not enter the campus due to the movement. Later, he exchanged views with teachers, officials and employees online.

Meanwhile, despite the conflicting positions and statements of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir over the movement, the university administration has said that no kind of party politics will be tolerated on the campus. Currently, additional police are deployed on the campus and the situation is calm, according to Gazipur Sadar Police Station.