ACADEMIC activities continue to remain stalled at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology after the students assaulted their teachers in February. An absence of the vice-chancellor has only added to the academic stalemate, putting teachers, general students and their guardians in trouble. This appears so as academic activities had been stalled for more than three months in almost all universities, beginning in July 2024, because of the July-August uprising. It took a long time for the institutions to get back into their regular academic activities in the changed political context because of various ramifications. In such a situation, another academic stalemate, that too for five months at a stretch, at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology is unfortunate. The situation has already prompted a section of teachers, students and their guardians to hold protests on the campus on July 23, calling for steps to resolve the problem. Participants of the protests, which KUET Teachers鈥� Association has organised, have put out a call for an immediate appointment of the vice-chancellor to resume all academic, financial, development and administrative activities that have been stalled.
The stalemate began on February 19 after the Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and the Students Against Discrimination, which began the July-August protests, clashed on February 18 over a ban on on-campus student politics. The event left the institution closed on February 25 for an indefinite period. There have been several rounds of clashes between the students and the local people, putting the safety of students and the discipline of the university at stake. The university on April 14 suspended 37 students for their involvement in the February 18 clash, giving rise to protests from April 15, when students demanded the removal of the vice-chancellor and the withdrawal of the suspension. Amidst the situation, the government on April 25 removed both the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor. The government, however, on May 4 appointed a Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology teacher the acting vice-chancellor of the Khulna institution. Clashes were scheduled to resume on May 4, but they did not as the teachers refused to take classes and do the administrative chores, demanding punishment for all who had assaulted them. The newly appointed vice-chancellor, however, resigned on May 21 amidst teachers鈥� protests.
The situation of the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology has for long been in disarray and further delay in the resolution of the issues would greatly harm the students. The government should, therefore, take early action to put things in order.
