Cuet students take protest to Chattogram city after 14 days over ex-VC's reinstatement

Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) have taken their protest to Chattogram city after demonstrating on campus for 14 consecutive days, demanding the reinstatement of former vice-chancellor Prof Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.

The students held a human chain and demonstration in front of Chattogram Press Club around 3:30pm today (6 October), their first programme outside the campus since the movement began.

They said they would continue the movement until their demand is met.

The students said they decided to bring the protest to the city after seeing no progress from the government despite continuing their movement on campus for 14 days.

Meanwhile, a 'complete shutdown' has been underway at the Cuet campus since morning, halting all academic and administrative activities. Teachers, officers and employees are also observing a work stoppage.

Tasnia Tabassum, a student of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, said they came to the city after receiving no response from the government despite the prolonged campus protest.

"We are suffering a lot and academic activities have been disrupted. The activities of officers and employees have also been affected, and their salaries and allowances have been stopped. We want the government to accept our demand quickly and end this deadlock," she said.

Zulkarnaine Mihad, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said Sayem was removed without any reason, prompting the students to launch the protest.

"We could not draw the government's attention even after 14 days, so we came to the city. Our aim is to draw the attention of the government and everyone else. We still have only one demand – Sayem sir must be reinstated," he said.

Prof Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem, a professor of Cuet's Department of Mechanical Engineering, was appointed vice-chancellor of the university on 27 July this year.

He was removed 56 days later, on the night of 21 September, and Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam of the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) was appointed as the new vice-chancellor.

Students staged protests on the campus that night and began a 'complete shutdown' the following day, 22 September, demanding Sayem's reinstatement.

Teachers, officers and employees joined the work stoppage on 24 September, three days after the students began their movement.

The ongoing shutdown has brought Cuet's academic and administrative activities to a halt.