Academic activities at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) remain suspended for nearly three months as teachers continue boycotting classes and administrative duties, demanding punishment of those responsible in the assault on the Vice-Chancellor and other faculty members.
Despite repeated calls for resumption, Kuet teachers have not returned to classrooms even two weeks into a fresh academic phase.
On Monday, they held a sit-in protest inside the vice-chancellor’s office, later moving outside the administrative building, where they continued the demonstration until 1 PM.
Some 100 students of 19th batch also expressed solidarity with the teachers during the protest.
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Students including Shafti Ashari, Jihad, Yusuf and Shihab said, “If academic activities had continued for just one more month, we would have completed our degrees. But this deadlock for three months has pushed us into further session delays. We want classes and exams to resume immediately.”
They demanded punishment for those responsible for assaulting teachers.
They also agreed to take punitive measures based on the report given by the investigation committee. However, no innocent person should be punished, said the students.
However, a faction of students who were active in protests over the past three months, including Mahiruzzaman Upol, Saikat, and Jholok demanded punitive measures against those responsible for assaulting students and harassing teachers, but rejected the report of the investigation committee formed under the former VC.
They called for a new judicial probe and said they currently have no protest programs planned.
“No one will defend those proven guilty through a fair judicial investigation,” they added.
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Kuet Teachers’ Association General Secretary Prof. Md. Faruk Hossain said that teachers will not return to classes or conduct exams until action is taken against those who harassed faculty members.
The boycott of academic activities began on May 4, followed by a suspension of administrative duties on Sunday.
Prof. Faruk said that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Hazrat Ali had been informed about the teachers’ planned protest but he went to Dhaka without prior notice. He verbally assigned another faculty member to handle routine duties during his absence. The VC is expected to return to campus on Tuesday.
President of the Kuet Teachers’ Association, Prof. Dr. Md. Shahidul Islam said teachers observed another sit-in on Tuesday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
He accused the administration of suspending disciplinary procedures outside the framework of university regulations, further worsening the academic crisis.
Talking with some students, they said --one group of students stands with the teachers, another — previously active in protests — is now inactive and reportedly under pressure, unsure about their next steps.
Director of Student Welfare of Kuet, Prof. Abdullah Elias Akhtar said the university administration is trying its best to resolve the ongoing crisis.
Academic activities at Kuet have been suspended following a clash on February 18. The prolonged deadlock has worsened session delays, and classes for the new batch have yet to begin, leaving 7,565 students in limbo.