A group of students from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) have been on a hunger strike for over 20 hours, demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Masud.
The strike, which began on Monday afternoon, continued into Tuesday with 30 students still participating despite growing physical weakness.
Initially, 32 students joined the indefinite strike. However, one student fell ill and was forced to withdraw on Monday night, while another was taken home by a guardian due to pressure from family members.
The university’s Student Welfare Department has been making efforts to persuade the protesters to call off their strike and engage in dialogue. From Monday morning, officials approached several students in an attempt to initiate discussions.
Later that day, the department held a press conference on the veranda of the Student Welfare Center, calling for a peaceful resolution.
At 2:30pm, a large group of teachers, including the director, assistant director, and deputy director of Student Welfare, gathered at the strike site.
Following the official commencement of the hunger strike at 3:45pm, several faculty members addressed the students, urging them to reconsider their stance and accept juice as a symbolic gesture to end the fast.
Despite continued appeals for more than two hours, the students remained resolute. The faculty eventually left the site, assuring the strikers that the door for dialogue remained open.
Md Rahatul Islam, a 20th batch student of the Civil Engineering Department, reaffirmed the group’s singular demand: the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
“We have one demand, and it will only end when that demand is met,” he said. “We’ve maintained peaceful protests for two months. We’ve neither blocked roads nor railways. Even when we tried to meet the chief adviser, we remained peaceful. Is this why the interim authority ignores us — because we chose peace?”
Rahatul expressed frustration over what he described as repressive actions, including legal cases and suspensions. “Before approaching us for dialogue, they tried to suppress us with legal actions and disciplinary measures. Even now, investigation and disciplinary committees are being used to silence us. After everything, we cannot walk back from our demands,” he added.
Upol, a 20th batch student of the IEM Department, highlighted that the movement began two months ago with six demands, none of which were addressed.
“We even submitted a memorandum to the chief adviser’s residence in Dhaka. We thought the interim VC would pay attention. Two months have passed, and we’ve been ignored,” he said. “This government came to power over the blood of students. Yet it refuses to acknowledge students' voices.”
Sheikh Tawfiq Ahmed, a 19th batch student from the Leather Engineering Department, expressed disappointment over the university’s delayed response.
“There was a time for dialogue, and we tried. We even suggested opening the dormitories to facilitate discussions. Had the administration taken timely steps, a resolution might have been possible,” he said. “But now, we’re on a hard line. The time for negotiation has passed.”
