Professor Dr Mohammad Mashud, vice-chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet), has said students currently on hunger strike demanding his resignation do not represent the majority, as most students are not in favour of protests and want to return to class.
"A small number of students have joined the hunger strike. Most students do not support this movement and are not involved with it. They want to return to classes and exams," he said while speaking to the media on Tuesday.
"Therefore, how can I assume that the majority of students are connected to the ongoing protest? Instead of resignation, we are working towards a solution through dialogue," he added.
The VC said that teachers are maintaining communication with the students who are on strike and checking on their well-being.
The university administration is working to normalise the situation, and there is no alternative to solving the crisis through discussions, he added.
"We are in the process of resolving the issue and trying to bring the students to the table for dialogue," he said.
Mashud mentioned that he has been serving as VC at Kuet for almost eight months now and that the university administration has accepted all logical demands of the students.
"Since the beginning of the current movement, the administration has been trying to establish contact. Teachers have also repeatedly attempted to speak with the protesting students, but the hunger strikers are refusing to listen," he said.
A total of 32 Kuet students began a hunger strike around 3:45pm on Monday in front of the Students' Welfare Centre, demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
Earlier, on Sunday, they had issued a 24-hour ultimatum during a press briefing, reiterating their single demand.
Tensions at Kuet have been simmering since a clash on February 18.
Following the incident, students started a movement with six-point demands, including the removal of the VC and the pro-VC.
On February 25, the 99th (emergency) syndicate meeting was held at the VC's residence, where it was decided that, for security reasons, all students must vacate the halls by 10am on February 26.
In protest against the decision, agitated students brought out a demonstration on campus that night and vowed to remain in the halls, defying the administration's orders.
To avoid further untoward incidents, additional police forces were deployed in front of the main gate of the university from the morning of February 26.
After Eid-ul-Fitr, around 150 students re-entered the campus at 3pm on April 13, following a scheduled program.
They staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building and later submitted an application demanding the reopening of the dormitories, setting an 8pm ultimatum.
As the authorities did not accept their demand within the deadline, the students spent the night in front of the administrative building.
An emergency syndicate meeting subsequently decided to reopen two halls. However, students defied the syndicate decision, broke the locks, and entered the dormitories.
Later, they began their hunger strike with their single demand.