Kuet students boycott VC Masud for not resigning as per their demand

Protesting students at Khulna University of Engineering & Technology (Kuet) have boycotted Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Masud for not resigning as per their demand.

The students gathered on the campus at around 4.45pm today (19 February) and announced their boycott, reports our correspondent.

The protesters said they do not feel safe under the Masud-led Kuet administration.

"We wanted his resignation as we do not feel safe under his administration. But he refused to resign despite our ultimatums. Hence, we have decided to boycott him," one protester, whose identity could not be confirmed immediately, said at the gathering.

The protester also said, "We will now collect signatures from students of all years to boycott the vice-chancellor and send a petition to the chief adviser of the interim government. We do not want the academic activities of this university to be conducted under the current VC."

The protesters also boycotted the pro-vice-chancellor and the director of student welfare affairs.

Masud has also been freed from confinement.

Earlier yesterday, protesting Kuet students locked up the VC, the pro-VC and the Kuet Student Welfare director at night demanding their resignation following a clash with Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and outsiders in the afternoon.

They remained confined with protesters standing guard overnight to prevent his escape.

All three Kuet officials were later hospitalised today.

The students had given them until 1pm to resign citing administrative failure during yesterday's clash.

The protest began yesterday (18 February) when students demanded the VC take responsibility for the violent attack on campus.

He, however, refused to do so, stating, "I have no failures. Fights happen."

This angered the students which led to a physical altercation with him when students reportedly threw shoes at him. Following this, the VC fell ill and was admitted to the medical centre.

Tension gripped the Kuet campus all morning as additional police personnel, along with other forces, remained deployed surrounding the campus to ward off any unwanted incident.