Teachers and students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have decided to withdraw their indefinite shutdown and return to classes after 34 days of protests over the appointment of a new vice-chancellor, while students vowed to continue their movement until their demand for reinstating former VC Prof Abu Sayed Muhammad Sayem is met.
The students said the prolonged suspension of academic activities had put their education and future at risk, but returning to classes would not mean withdrawing from the movement.
They warned that they would launch a tougher movement again if newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam entered the campus before their demand was fulfilled.
“We want normal academic activities to resume as soon as possible, but our movement for the reinstatement of Prof Sayem will continue. We want an honourable solution to the crisis, not confrontation,” said Masum Billah, a fourth-year student of the Mechanical Engineering Department.
Samiun Basir, joint secretary of the CUET Teachers' Association, said a general meeting of the association had decided to call on students to return to classes.
The respective departments will decide when to resume classes, he added.
According to university sources, students first announced their decision to return to classes through an open letter around 11am on Sunday. Following the letter, the Teachers' Association held a general meeting at noon, which ended around 2pm. The association also announced the same decision after the meeting.
In their open letter, the students said their academic progress had continued to suffer because of the prolonged movement and stalemate, and they no longer wanted their education and future to be affected.
They said they wanted to resume classes and restore normal academic activities, but stressed that their return would not mean abandoning the movement.
The students reiterated that the sole demand of the joint movement involving teachers, officers, employees and students must be met, calling for Prof Abu Sayed Muhammad Sayem to be reinstated as vice-chancellor.
They also warned that they would launch another strict movement if newly appointed VC Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam entered the campus, pledging to remain united until their demand was fulfilled.
Asked about the decision to withdraw the shutdown, Zulkarnain Mihad, a fourth-year student of the Mechanical Engineering Department, said the prolonged suspension of classes and examinations had left their academic future uncertain.
“We want normal academic activities to resume quickly. We want an honourable solution to the crisis, not confrontation. We hope our demand will also be considered seriously while ensuring that our academic life continues,” he said.
On September 21, the Ministry of Education removed Prof Abu Sayed Muhammad Sayem from the post of CUET vice-chancellor and appointed Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) as his replacement.
Protesting the decision, students launched a complete shutdown on September 22. Teachers, officers and employees also began work abstention and non-cooperation programmes demanding Sayem's reinstatement.
The protests brought most academic activities, including classes and examinations, to a halt, forcing the postponement of 34 examinations across seven departments.
Meanwhile, Prof Shariful Alam had earlier entered his office after breaking a lock with the help of Chhatra Dal leaders. Students subsequently confined him there. After he fell ill, he was taken out of the building with the administration's assistance about 24 hours later.