Kuetians on hunger strike for VC's resignation, 1 falls ill: What happened so far
Several other students had fallen seriously ill and are currently receiving primary medical care
A student named Farin, who was on hunger strike demanding the resignation of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Masud, lost consciousness hours into the protest.
She lost consciousness around 1:45pm today (22 April) while praying in the Kuet mosque. Farin was then rescued and taken to the Kuet Medical Center.
Several other students had fallen seriously ill before Farin and are currently receiving primary medical care.
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The students began their hunger strike at 4pm yesterday (21 April).
Due to the extreme heat and prolonged fasting, many of the 32 students participating in the hunger strike have become physically weak.
However, the students said they will not end their hunger strike without the vice-chancellor's resignation.
The protesting students also said they seek intervention from the current interim government to fulfil their demands.
The students gathered in front of Dr MA Rashid Hall around 3:30pm yesterday.
From there, they proceeded to the campus Student Welfare Center with mattresses, pillows, and bed covers, and began their hunger strike at 4pm.
The university's student welfare director, syndicate members, teachers' association president, various department heads, and many teachers were already present at the Student Welfare Center.
When the students arrived, the teachers spoke with some of them and later held a press conference urging everyone to come and negotiate.
The teachers requested that the students withdraw from the hunger strike and join discussions. They repeatedly tried to persuade the students to drink juice.
Despite two-and-a-half hours of effort, they couldn't change the students ' stance.
Eventually, the teachers left.
Before leaving, University Student Welfare Director Professor Abdullah Ilias Akhtar told the students, "We've discussed many things. We wanted one thing - a solution. The incident of 18 February has developed many branches and reached this stage today. So we will continue discussions with you.
"My office is in this building. The door will always remain open. We will come back. Our teachers will come. They will be requested to continue our efforts until the students understand," he added.
One student on hunger strike told the teachers, "There are 32 lives on one side and one position on the other. Now, see which side you want to be on, sir.
"We won't engage in any arguments or anything else. If you say ten things, we'll say implement our single demand; if you say one thing, we'll still say implement our single demand. We've been discussing our situation for a long time, but you haven't seen it," the student added.
"We were like cats and dogs under the open sky for 48 hours. We sought help from every teacher, but you didn't come. We were called miscreants when we were forced to open the hall doors. Then, we faced lawsuits," said the student on hunger strike.
"Our parents cry when they call us. That's why we're sitting here. Our parents will only cry once when we die. We don't want them to cry for any other reason in between. That's all: 32 lives or one position. There's nothing else in between," the student added.
Regarding the teachers' proposal for discussion, Sheikh Taufik Ahmed, a student from the 19th batch of the university's Leather Engineering Department, said, "There is no time for discussion now. We have made many attempts to sit with the teachers."
"We said there was room for compromise. We told them to open the halls. Perhaps a compromise could have been reached then. And at least the five demands if they had accepted them. Today, they are sitting with us, but a solution would have been found if they had sat earlier," he added.
"But now that we have taken a hard line, there is no opportunity for discussion," Taufik said.
Events that led to the hunger strike
Earlier on 18 February, clashes erupted at Kuet over demands to ban student politics, leaving over a hundred injured. The next day, students locked all academic and administrative buildings.
During an emergency syndicate meeting that afternoon, Kuet authorities decided to halt all political activities on campus and formed a committee to investigate the clashes.
That night, the administration filed a case against 400-500 unnamed individuals with Khanjahan Ali Police Station.
On 20 February, students held a protest rally on campus, displaying red cards to all political student organisations and demanding the vice-chancellor's resignation.
On 23 February, students travelled from Khulna to Dhaka to submit a memorandum to the Chief Adviser, demanding the trial of those involved in the attacks, the VC's resignation, and six other points.
On 25 February, Kuet's highest policy making body, the syndicate, decided to close all residential halls indefinitely during its 99th emergency meeting.
Students were ordered to vacate the halls by 10am the next day, prompting further protests on campus.
On 14 April, at the 101st (emergency) syndicate meeting of Kuet, 37 students were temporarily expelled.
"Following the unfortunate incidents at Kuet on 18 and 19 February, an investigation committee was formed at the 98th [emergency] syndicate meeting on 19 February. Their sealed report was presented to the syndicate and accepted. The decision was made to expel 37 students accused of involvement in the incident temporarily," said Shaheduzzaman Sheikh, public relations officer (additional duty) of Kuet that day.
At the same time, the matter was referred to the university's Student Disciplinary Committee for necessary action, according to the investigation report.
Additionally, it was decided that all residential halls would reopen for students on 2 May, with classes resuming on 4 May.
Meanwhile, on 10 April, a person named Hochen Ali from the Maheshwarpasha North Banikapara area of the city filed a case against 22 Kuet students in the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
The court accepted the plaintiff's complaint and directed Khanjahan Ali Police Station to investigate and submit a report.
The lawsuit alleges that on 18 February afternoon, Hochen Ali was going home via Kuet Road. When he reached the front of the pocket gate, the accused persons assaulted him with rods and sticks with intent to kill and snatched his gold chain.
However, the students allege that the Kuet administration instigated the outsider to file a case against them.
The students say it would be impossible for an outsider to know the names and identities of 22 students without assistance from the university administration.
