Students from multiple universities expressed solidarity with Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) students who began an indefinite hunger strike on Monday at 4pm on the corridor of Kuet's Student Welfare Center, demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohammad Mashud.
Earlier, a group of students from Kuet had initiated a hunger strike, demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor.
The strike began on Monday afternoon and continued into Tuesday, with 30 students still participating despite growing physical weakness.
Bangladesh Democratic Students Council's symbolic hunger strike
Bangladesh Democratic Students Council (BDSC) demanded that the Kuet VC be removed by the interim government and the president by Tuesday night, warned about student movements if their demands are not met, and stated that the interim government will have to take responsibility if Kuet students' health deteriorates.
They held a symbolic hunger strike around 5:30pm at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture to express solidarity with the ongoing student movement at Kuet.
BDSC stated that Kuet VC has failed to provide security to students, as he could not provide any reasonable response to the students' legitimate movement and could not face the students directly.
They also stated that relevant advisers in the interim government have failed to take any logical and acceptable measures in this matter.
Zahid Ahsan, central member secretary of BDSC, stated that BDSC believes, as a matter of policy, that no partisan teacher should be appointed or given administrative responsibilities. "They demand that the interim government and the president must remove Dr Mashud by tonight."
"If any of our brothers at Kuet are harmed or if anyone's physical condition deteriorates, we will mobilize student communities across Bangladesh to launch a movement against Dr Mashud," he added.
Tahmid Al Mudassir Chowdhury, central chief organizer of BDSC, accused the Kuet VC of being intoxicated with power for taking a stand against students.
He also accused Kuet VC of pushing ordinary students to the brink of death and not considering the student movement to be a significant issue.
"The university administrations that received new appointments in the wake of student movements have now forgotten about the students. VC Mashud will be forced to resign through student movements, and if anything happens to Kuet students, the interim government will have to take responsibility," he added.
Dhaka University's solidarity protest march
Some students of Dhaka University (DU) and former students of Kuet held a protest march expressing solidarity with the ongoing hunger strike by Kuet students.
The protest march began at 4pm on Tuesday from Dhaka University's VC Chattar. The procession moved through Hall Para, Arts Building, and Shahbagh before ending at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture. During the march, students staged a symbolic five-minute blockade at Shahbagh.
During the protest march, students called for quick acceptance of the Kuet students' single-point demand. They insisted that the Kuet VC must be removed from his position and brought to justice, warning of intensified protests otherwise.
The protesters also expressed outrage over false cases filed against Kuet students and demanded the appointment of a new vice-chancellor to conduct a proper investigation into the incidents.
They appealed to government advisors to ensure the rights of general students, claiming that the interim government appears unconcerned about the students' hunger strike.
Buet students' solidarity statement
Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) issued a solidarity statement supporting the indefinite hunger strike by Kuet students.
On Tuesday around 1pm, Buet students marched from the Central Shaheed Minar, Buet to the base of Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University, where Buet student Al Farabi read their solidarity statement.
"We want to clearly state that Buet students fully support all the reasonable demands of Kuet students. On behalf of the general students of Buet, we strongly demand that Kuet students' legitimate demands be accepted quickly, arrangements be made to end their hunger strike, and the real culprits be brought to justice promptly. We call upon the appropriate authorities, including the interim government, to take proper steps to ensure the security of Kuet students and restore an appropriate educational environment," read the statement.
According to the statement, tensions erupted at Kuet in February when general students tried to prevent Chhatra Dal from distributing membership forms. The situation escalated when local BNP leaders and activists arrived armed, attacking students with sharp weapons and firearms, resulting in over 150 students being injured. During the four-hour attack, the Kuet administration completely failed to provide security to students.
In response, Kuet students submitted a six-point demand to the chief advisor, seeking security guarantees and rights protection, it added.
The statement said that subsequently, the Kuet administration ignored these demands and forced students to vacate their dormitories. Instead of taking action against the actual perpetrators, they banned students from entering campus and sent messages to their parents' mobile phones enforcing this restriction. When students demanded justice, the administration waited two months before unfairly expelling 37 Kuet students, most of whom were innocent victims of the Chhatra Dal attack.
