What’s going on at Kuet?

On February 17, the members of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Nationalist Party of Bangladesh (BNP) distribute forms of member on the campus of the University of Engineering and Technology in Khulna (Kuet). Due to the decision made by the 93rd, union (emergency) meeting of August 11, 2024, which forbade all the political activities on campus, the general students considered this as a direct violation. Thus, the protests broke out the next day on Tuesday, February 18th.

According to the reports of Kuet students present on campus that day, the situation escalated during a general students’ protest when a group of JCD members passed and eliminated them from Campus. As a result, students claim that JCD members brought local members of the BNP to Campus, after which confrontations broke out and general students. Police sources say about 45 people were injured while students and a teacher say the number is around 150. The wounded were taken to the Hospital of the Khulna Medical College, at Khulna Medical Center and other clinics.

Following the incident, on Tuesday evening, general students demanded that the Vice-Cancel (VC) of the University, Dr. Muhammad Masud, take responsibility for his failure to ensure the safety of the students and to give up with the pro-vicing chancellor of students. In addition, they asked for the university authorities to be submitted to the perpetrators, the medical expenses of all the injured students are covered by the university, the student policy is officially forbidden in the campus, anyone being involved in politics and for the military to provide security until February 28.

These requests come as a result of the students who claim that there were delays from the university authorities in the appeal of the law enforcement agencies, even though the collision lasted about four hours. The students expressed other dissatisfaction with the university authorities and teachers who do not take significant measures to ensure the safety of their students while the collision happened.

Despite the ultimatum of the students to boycott all the classes and exams, so that their requirements are not met up to 1 pm Wednesday, February 19, their requests did not meet, to which they responded by blocking the administrative and academic buildings at 13: 30. Later a trade union meeting took place Which led to VC to accept most of the students’ requests, including the prohibition of all the students from Campus and the expulsion of all those employed in the collision that took place on Tuesday, February 18th. However, the appeal to the resignation of the staff of the university authority has not been heard. Students have announced that all academic activities will be suspended until February 28 to ensure student safety.

The protests broke out in campuses from all over the country, including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University, in solidarity with Kuet students who stayed against student policy.

Videos presenting people carrying models and a person who shoots a weapon in the middle of the clash has gone viral on social networks on Tuesday afternoon. Since then, BCD has denied any claims about their members or affiliated persons being the players in the videos.

In a Wednesday press conference, the Secretary General of BCD, Nasir Uddin Nasir, claimed that this is the members of the Movement of Anti-Discrimination Students (ADSM) who initiated the attack, with Omar Faruk, the convener Kuet Ads being identified as an instigator . Ahmed Ishiaque, the former head of Khulna Chhatra Dal, claimed that Islam Chhatra Shibir and Liga Chatro were trying to stop BCD activities. Other statements were made that BCD members blocked an attack on ordinary students by Chhatro Shibir and the Chhatro League. Arafat Hossain Millon, president of Khulna Islami Chatra Shibir, denied any such claims.

Thursday, cases were submitted by the university authorities against 500 unnamed persons involved in the clash on Tuesday. Kuet students carried out a red card protest on the campus to reiterate their requirements, including the resignation of the university authorities and legal actions against the perpetrators.

On Friday, the students blocked the VC residence while VC was in Dhaka for medical treatment, saying that their requests were not fulfilled and denying all the accusations of mistreatment of VC. They also made an exhibition at the student assistance center, entitled “Roktakto Kuet 18.02.25”.

On Saturday, the students marched in the campus spaces, frustrated by the fact that their requirements were not met. They claimed that no perpetrator was arrested, no responsibility for the university authorities were made, VC did not recognize the involvement of BCD or BNP and that the university authorities were complicit in the attacks that were happening while allowing Politics of Student Politics Politics on Campus.

The general students also presented a letter by E -mail to the chief counselor of the interim government, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, requesting that their requirements be met. The next day, on February 23, 80 Kuet students fought to Dhaka and a delegation of Five delivered the chief counselor’s memorandumwhose assistant personal secretary met students.

The students withdrew their six-point requests there, which included the immediate resignation of VC and Pro-VC, the legal punishment against the perpetrators of the attack, the prohibition of student policy on campus, ensuring the safety of the students, eliminating the ghost case against 500 the unnamed persons. The students were afraid to be used against them and the appointment of a new VC. They continued to describe the horrors of the collision on February 18, including the responsibility they feel that the university authorities must bear.

On February 24, the students broke the lock in the VC residence and asked him to leave the house until the next morning, when he returned to his residence. The failure to comply with the request led to the students who tried to block the residence in the morning with VC and the teachers from the inside, but they stopped once the teachers went out and spoke to them, some students claiming that teachers have threatened to prevent academic students. otherwise.

On February 25, the Kuet administration issued a notification that declares that all academic activities will be suspended endlessly due to security issues and trained students to leave all residences until 10 in the morning, following a decision made in the one of the 99 -a union sessions.

References:

Business standard (February 25, 2025). Kuet closed endlessly, students asked to give up the halls on the background for VC resignation

The Daily Star (February 22, 2025). Kuet students write in CA for VC, Pro-VC removal

The Daily Star (February 19, 2025). Kuet tensions pour on other campuses

Dhaka Tribune (February 18, 2025). Clashes burst at Kuet because of the request to prohibit student policy

Dhaka Tribune (February 18, 2025). Security has grown at Kuet after confrontations on student policy leaves more wounded

The Daily Star (February 24, 2025). “Prohibit politics in campus, remove VC”

Prothom Hello (February 24, 2025). কুয়েট হামলায় সরকার কি দায় এড়াতে পারবে পারবে