Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) staged a procession on Saturday in protest against remarks made by newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam, which they described as “misleading and propagandistic.”
They brought out the procession around 2:30pm on the 12th day of their movement demanding the reinstatement of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.
They also called for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s intervention to resolve the ongoing deadlock at the university and restore normal academic activities.
In an interview with the media on Friday, Prof Sheikh Shariful said four examinations of the 2023-24 academic year had been stalled due to the movement.
The protesters, however, disputed the claim, saying it did not reflect the actual situation on campus. They said examinations in almost all departments of the academic year had already been completed, with only one department yet to begin its exams.
The procession began at the Shaheed Minar, passed through Swadhinata Chattar and ended at the Shaheed Minar.
During the march, students chanted slogans including, “Your VC, my VC—Sayem Sir, Sayem Sir” and “One point, one demand—We want Sayem Sir as VC.”
They carried a banner calling for the prime minister’s intervention to end the deadlock at CUET. Placards read, “Prime Minister’s intervention to restore CUET,” “CUET Revolts for Sayem Sir” and “PM, Consider Our Appeal.”
The students called for Prof Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem’s reinstatement as vice-chancellor, an end to the university’s ongoing deadlock and the restoration of a normal academic environment.
Shahriar Hisham, a third-year student of CUET’s Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering (ETE) Department, said, “We have been protesting to demand the reinstatement of Sayem Sir as vice-chancellor. We are frustrated by the administration’s silence. Classes and examinations have remained suspended because of the movement. We are seeking the prime minister’s intervention and want him to take prompt steps to resolve the crisis. We want to return to our classes.”
Students have been observing a “complete shutdown” at CUET since September 22, demanding Prof Sayem’s reinstatement. They have carried out various programmes, including red-card demonstrations and torch processions.
Regular academic activities remain suspended, while examinations of different years in six departments are currently stalled.
The students have vowed to continue their movement until their demand is met.
