KUET campus in turmoil: Students demand VC’s resignation

Tensions have been escalating at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) as students demand the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Masud, citing his failure to ensure their safety. 

The protest, which began at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, February 19, has gathered momentum, with students staging a sit-in in front of the university‍‍`s medical center where the Vice-Chancellor is currently being treated.

The Vice-Chancellor, who fell ill the previous night, is under treatment on the second floor of the medical center. 

Despite his health condition, the students remain firm in their demands, which include his resignation and four other key issues.

The primary cause of the unrest stems from a violent clash on campus the previous day. Hundreds of students were injured during repeated confrontations between student groups. 

The conflict, sparked by the demand to end student politics on campus, led to a series of violent exchanges between the leaders of a political student wing and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Abdullah Mohammad Siam, a third-year student from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department, voiced the students‍‍` concerns saying, 

"Our demands include the safety of the students and the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor. Right now, our primary demand is the expulsion of those who have been working to reinstate student politics on the campus. The VC must resign. He has failed to ensure our safety. Just moments before the incident, he assured us of our security but still failed. Outsiders entered the campus with machetes and knives and attacked our batchmates, juniors, and seniors. Many people were injured. Yet, the VC claims he didn’t fail; he was just two hours late. If the VC cannot provide security for the students on campus, then KUET does not need such a VC. We don’t want to see KUET under such a VC."

The protests follow a night of heightened tension and clashes. Later in the evening, the protesting students held a press conference at the campus medical center, where they presented a five-point demand. 

Alongside the call for the VC‍‍`s resignation, the demands include:

1. A permanent ban on campus politics, with lifetime expulsion for anyone involved.
2. Legal actions, including expulsions, against those responsible for the previous day’s violence.
3. Military personnel stationed outside the campus until February 28.
4. The administration covering medical expenses for the injured students.
5. The resignation of the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Director of Student Welfare, along with a public apology for their failure to ensure safety.

The situation on campus remains tense as security forces, including military personnel, were seen patrolling the campus and surrounding areas. 

Some students have started leaving the dormitories, while shops outside the campus have reopened.

As of now, the students show no signs of backing down, and the Vice-Chancellor’s future at KUET remains uncertain. 

The protest is part of a larger outcry for the administration to take immediate steps in addressing the grievances of the students.