CUET students call off protest, traffic movement resumes

The students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have called off their movement in protest of deaths of two of their classmates in a road crash as the university was declared closed.

The university authorities held a meeting with 20 protesting students at around 8:30 pm yesterday, Thursday. Following the meeting, the students called off their protest and traffic movement began on the Chattogram-Kaptai road as they lifted the blockade and moved away from the road.

The students said their demand of arresting the accused bus driver had been met. The university authorities have made commitments to form a fund for compensation aided by existing and former students, CUET teachers and officials.

Besides, the road extension project for the Chattogram-Kaptai road will begin soon. The authorities will arrange a meeting with the deputy commissioner (DC) within two weeks. The students accordingly decided to cancel the movement.

Speaking regarding this to Prothom Alo, CUET registrar Sheikh Mohammad Humayun Kabir said that a syndicate meeting has been called on Friday following the suspension of the movement. The decision regarding vacating the residential halls will be reconsidered and finalised in the meeting.

Earlier, the authorities took the decision to close the campus for an indefinite period through an emergency meeting of the university academic council. The CUET authorities asked the male students to vacate residential halls within 5:00 pm Thursday and female students by 9:00 am Friday.

The meeting was chaired by CUET vice chancellor Mohammad Rafiqul Alam. Pro VC Mohammad Jamal Uddin Ahmed, registrar and student welfare department’s director Md Rezaul Karim were also present at the meeting.

The announcement was made public in a notice signed by CUET registrar Sheikh Mohammad Humayun Kabir.

However, it further escalated the situation and the demonstrating students torched a bus of Shah Amanat Paribahan at Swadhinata Chattar after the announcement of closure.

At one point, they locked the main gate of the administrative building. The CUET vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor and the registrar inside that building at the time.

Earlier, Shanto Saha, third-year-student of civil engineering department at CUET and Towfiq Hossain, second-year-student from the same department, were killed after a Shah Amanat Paribahan bus ran over their motorcycle in the Zianagar area of Rangunia on Monday.

The students have been demonstrating since then. The demonstrating students blocked road for around 13 hours on Wednesday.