Resume academic activities at KUET swiftly through appointment of a VC

On February 18, following a clash between anti-discrimination student protesters and members of the Chhatra Dal at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), students demanded a ban on student politics and the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor. Some KUET teachers were also involved in the incident, which led to the harassment of a teacher. Amid intense student protests and the resulting stalemate, the government relieved KUET Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Masud of his duties. Although academic activities were scheduled to resume in May, 78 days after the incident, the teachers did not return to classes. They declared they would not resume teaching until the students involved in the harassment of teachers were punished. Now in July, five months since the incident, while students have returned to class, the teachers have not.

According to news published in the media, five months after the clash over student politics, classes and examinations have yet to resume at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET). The absence of a Vice-Chancellor and the teachers’ refusal to participate in academic activities until those responsible for the clash and teacher harassment are brought to justice have caused a deadlock. As a result, the futures of nearly seven and a half thousand students are uncertain due to sessional delays.

Students have reportedly waited in classrooms for several days, only to return disappointed due to the absence of teachers. On Saturday, KUET students’ guardians held a human chain demanding the resumption of classes and examinations. Students said, "We want an end to the ongoing deadlock at the university. According to the decision of the last Syndicate Committee meeting, classes were supposed to resume from May 4. That decision is still in effect." They demanded the immediate start of classes.

On the other hand, KUET Teachers' Association General Secretary Professor Md Faruk Hossain told the media, "The administrative and academic complications that have developed over a long period cannot be resolved without a Vice-Chancellor. We have submitted this in writing to the government. We have also spoken about this with students and guardians. Everyone wants the government to appoint a Vice-Chancellor; the students have also expressed willingness to support us in this regard. We hope that once a Vice-Chancellor is appointed, the problems will be resolved."

The question is, why has the government still not appointed a Vice-Chancellor at KUET even after five months? Why such negligence from the government regarding this administrative complication and academic deadlock? Does the government not consider the lives of thousands of students to be valuable? Even without a Vice-Chancellor, the teachers could have conducted classes. Why are the teachers still so angry over a past incident? We know that teachers are noble and always view students with a forgiving eye, so why are the teachers absent when the students are present in class? Will the university continue to remain paralysed for even longer due to that incident?

We want this deadlock to be resolved quickly. Through the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor, academic activities at KUET must begin without delay. There is no alternative to prompt action by the government in this matter. The more the government neglects this, the more the lives of several thousand students will be endangered.