B'desh: Months after clashes, Khulna University still in deadlock, students return amid uncertainty

Dhaka, July 20 Five months after violent student political clashes brought academic activities to a halt at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), the campus remains mired in uncertainty.

While students of the 2021-22 academic batches returned to classrooms on Sunday, the university continues to function without a permanent vice-chancellor, leaving over 7,500 students facing the prospect of extended session delays, reports leading Bangladeshi media outlet Prothom Alo.

Despite the absence of clear administrative leadership, a message posted on the social media page 'Bloody Kuet' on Saturday signalled a student-led initiative to resume academic activities.

"We will all return to class tomorrow after shaking off all the old-fashionedness and showing the red card to negativity. The teachers have wished us well; they cannot turn their backs. So it is time to return to class with a positive attitude," the post read.

Students of the 21st and 22nd batches responded to the call, returning to the classroom in large numbers. However, concerns remain, with many pointing to unresolved tensions between faculty and students.

"Many teachers were upset during our movement. We have apologised to them. Now we are forced to return to class because five months of our education have already been lost," said Ashir Muntakim Ferdous, a 21st batch student, speaking to Prothom Alo.

He noted that before the former VC's dismissal, the syndicate had announced classes would resume on May 4.

Another student added, "Almost all of us from batches 21 and 22 are present. The exams for senior batches will begin once classes resume fully. However, some students are still not on campus due to security concerns."

In the capital, Guardian Forum Dhaka submitted a memorandum last Thursday to the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), demanding the immediate resumption of academic activities.

On Sunday, they also organised a human chain protest in front of the KUET administrative building.

Despite these efforts, a resolution remains elusive.

The crisis began on February 18, when over a hundred individuals were injured in clashes stemming from demands to ban student politics on campus.

The violence prompted the government to remove both the vice-chancellor and the associate vice-chancellor. CUET Professor Hazrat Ali was appointed interim VC on May 1, only to resign three weeks later following stiff resistance from KUET faculty.

Although the Ministry of Education issued a notification for a new VC appointment on June 10, the process remains stalled.

UGC member Mohammad Jaminur Rahman had been temporarily authorised to oversee the university's finances until July 15.

Adding to the deadlock, the KUET Teachers' Association has taken a hardline stance, demanding that those responsible for assaults on faculty members during the unrest be held accountable before they return to classes.

Their executive meeting held on July 16 ended inconclusively.

With no immediate resolution in sight and the appointment of a new vice-chancellor still pending, the academic future of KUET's students is uncertain.

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