ACADEMIC activities in institutions of tertiary education are yet to get back on a good footing as the atmosphere in the institutions still goes through hiccups that began in July 2024. It has already been more than 10 months since the universities began facing disruption in academic activities when public university teachers began abstaining from work in protest at a mandatory universal pension scheme for teachers, which the government later retracted, and students, gradually involving almost all from almost all educational institutions, began protests seeking reforms in civil service job reservations on July 1 that year. The student protests flared into a mass uprising that overthrew the Awami League government on August 5, resulting in the installation of the interim government three days later. After the fall of the Awami League government, the upheaval continued, in cases, students forcing teachers to resign and, in other cases, teachers resigning on their own. The phenomenon spilled over to colleges and even schools, compounding the situation. But the academic activities did not immediately begin although the government started appointing the vice-chancellors in late August, with the appointment of the vice-chancellor to the University of Dhaka that happened on August 27.
Classes in universities, especially public, effectively resumed in September-October, not in a full swing though. Yet, students of both public and private universities, colleges, and polytechnic and nursing institutes have continued to go on demonstrations to push various demands, blocking road crossings, road stretches, highways and railways and laying siege to the secretariat, police stations and other places of public importance. Student protests are reported to continue in the University of Dhaka, the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, the National University, the seven colleges that were earlier affiliated to the University of Dhaka and polytechnic and nursing institutes. The situation has now given rise to the likelihood of prolonged academic years that might ultimately affect the students and their guardians and the nation. Experts say that the removal of heads of institutions, which many think was not needed, has largely affected both academic and administrative activities in the education sector. Educationalists, who believe that it would be difficult to make up for the damage caused to tertiary education, say that heads of institutions and teachers should shoulder the responsibility to restore the academic atmosphere. The University Grants Commission chair says that some of the vice-chancellors appointed after the July uprising have failed to restore the academic atmosphere to the institutions.
The government should, therefore, put in further effort to restore the academic atmosphere to educational institutions by working in sync with teachers so that students do not further suffer.