KUET students call off hunger strike, celebrate

The students who were on a hunger strike on demand of resignation of the Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Muhammad Masud, have withdrawn their programme after nearly 58 hours.

The protesting students ended the hunger strike by drinking juice offered by University Grants Commission (UGC) member Professor Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan around 1:00 am on Thursday.

Earlier, he read out a message from the education ministry to the students.

The message said that the KUET Vice-Chancellor and pro-Vice-Chancellor have been relieved of their charges with the view to resolving the recent crisis and normalise educational activities on the campus.

One of the senior professors will be given the ad-hoc responsibility of a Vice-Chancellor to run the affairs of the university, the message further said.

Upon learning the matter, the students brought out a procession from the campus’ Student Welfare Centre area.

Various announcements related to the movement of the students were being updated on a Facebook page, KUET 19.

A post on the page said, “Alhamdulillah. We have won; our brothers have won. Masud has resigned!”

Earlier in the day, Education Affairs Adviser CR Abrar arrived at the campus and discussed with the protesting students around 9:45 am.

He heard their demands and requested the students to break their hunger strike but the students remain adamant in their stance.

Following a meeting with the Education Affairs Adviser, the students brought out a protest procession on the campus.

Later in the day, the KUET teachers’ association at a press briefing said they will not accept the decision to remove the VC by putting pressure on him.

Amid this deadlock, a three-member team of UGC arrived at KUET and held separate discussions with different sides.

A syndicate meeting was also convened in the afternoon. The meeting revoked its 14 April decision to suspend 37 students. The syndicate meeting also decided to open the six male dormitories and one female dormitory formally on Wednesday afternoon.

The meeting also upheld its previous decision on resuming the class on 4 May.

More than 100 people were injured in a clash erupted over the demand of stopping student politics at KUET on 18 February.

The students on the following day locked all the academic buildings and the administrative building.

A syndicate meeting on that day decided to stop all types of political activities on the campus. On 25 February, the authorities closed all the dormitories for an indefinite period.

Later on 13 April, the students gathered in front of the administrative building with the demand of opening the residential halls.

The syndicate meeting on the next day decided to suspend 37 students on allegation of their involvement with the violence. This led the students to start the demonstration.