Clashes erupt at DUET over appointment of new VC

An ongoing student movement over the appointment of a new vice-chancellor (VC) at the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) in Gazipur turned into clashes today, Sunday, leaving at least 15 people injured, according to reports.

During the confrontation, the two groups—supporting and opposing the appointment of the new VC—chased each other and hurled brickbats, creating a tense situation on campus from the morning.

According to university sources, Professor Mohammad Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology was appointed as the new vice-chancellor of DUET by the government last Thursday.

Since the notification was issued, a section of students has rejected the decision and launched a protest. Alongside them, several faculty leaders have also demanded that the vice-chancellor be appointed from among DUET’s senior internal academics.

Police and witnesses said that as part of an ongoing movement that began on Thursday night, a section of students gathered on campus and started protesting from around 8:00 am on Sunday. Tensions escalated further after rumours spread that the newly appointed vice-chancellor might arrive on campus.

At one point, the protesting students locked the main gate of the university. The situation then escalated into clashes when arguments broke out between protesters and a group of students supporting the appointment, leading to throwing brickbats between the two sides.

The protesting students argued that as DUET is a specialised engineering university, its academic and administrative realities differ from other institutions. Therefore, they said, the vice-chancellor should have been appointed from among qualified and senior internal faculty members in the interest of the university.

As of the latest reports, the situation on campus remained tense around 11:45 am. Additional police forces have been deployed to help bring the situation under control.

Aminul Islam, director of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College in Gazipur, said that until 12:00 pm today, 15 injured people had been brought there from the DUET campus.

Mohammad Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Gazipur Sadar Police Station, said tensions had been building among students over the vice-chancellor’s appointment for several days, and it eventually escalated into clashes on Sunday. Police are working to bring the situation under control. He added that no casualties had been reported so far.