Students lock Cuet VC inside building amid protests
His arrival sparked tension, with students gathering outside the building and attempting to lock his office.
Students protesting the appointment of a new vice-chancellor at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) today (12 October) locked the VC inside the building that houses his office.
VC Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam entered the campus this morning after breaking the padlock of an administrative building.
His arrival sparked tension, with students gathering outside the building and attempting to lock his office.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
They later locked the building with Shariful still inside, demanding his resignation and the reinstatement of the former VC Prof Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.
"We remain firm in our demands. We will not leave the VC's [office] building until the new VC resigns and Prof Sayem is reinstated," Zulkarnain Mihad, a fourth-year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, told The Business Standard.
Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem was appointed VC of Cuet on 27 July. On 21 September, the Ministry of Education removed him from the post and appointed Shariful of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) as Cuet's new VC.
Students began protesting the decision that night. A complete shutdown of the university has been in place since the following day, 22 September.
The protesters' principal demand is the reinstatement of Prof Sayem as VC.
Their demonstrations had prevented the newly appointed VC from entering the campus in person until today. He had been conducting administrative activities virtually from Chattogram Circuit House.
The university remained at a standstill amid the prolonged shutdown, which has continued for more than 20 days.
