Leadership vacuum paralyses Kuet; salaries unpaid, projects stalled

Academic and financial activities at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) have remained suspended for the past four months due to the absence of a vice-chancellor (VC).

Over 1,100 teachers and staff members have not received their salaries for May, nor have they been given their Eid-ul-Adha festival allowances, all due to the lack of a VC authorised to approve payments, sources at Kuet said.

Besides, development projects worth Tk600 crore have come to a standstill, as contractors await payment. Without the VC's signature, the university cannot access funds allocated for the current fiscal year, which must be utilised by 30 June or risk triggering a financial crisis.

On 29 May, Kuet Registrar Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan wrote to the Chancellor and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, seeking temporary authority to handle financial matters until a new VC is appointed. However, there has been no solution yet.

Earlier, on 25 May, a group comprising faculty members, deans, department heads, directors and hall provosts sent a letter to the Education Adviser via Professor Dr Abul Kalam Azad, Dean of Science and Humanities, calling for urgent intervention. No response has been received to date.

In a fresh development, a meeting was scheduled to take place on Sunday morning to explore ways of resuming financial operations.

Syndicate members, deans, directors and project heads were expected to attend.

It was anticipated that the meeting would result in a formal proposal to appoint an interim official to oversee financial activities, which would then be forwarded to the Ministry of Education for approval.

Kuet has been without executive leadership since 22 May, when acting VC Professor Dr Md Hazrat Ali resigned via text message following a no-confidence campaign.

Earlier, on 25 April, the Ministry of Education removed former VC Prof Dr Muhammad Masud and Pro-VC Prof Dr Shariful Alam amid student protests.