KUET clash: 37 students suspended, halls to open May 2

The administration did not announce which students would face disciplinary action

The Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) administration has decided to temporarily suspend 37 students for involvement in recent clashes on campus. The administration added that residential halls will be reopened from May 2.

The decisions were taken at the 101st emergency syndicate meeting on Monday night, according to a press release.

It did not clarify which students would face the disciplinary action.

According to a notice signed by university spokesman Shaheduzzaman Sheikh, the 98th emergency meeting was held on Feb 19 in the wake of the “tragic” incidents on Feb 18-19. The investigation committee’s report on the violence was presented under seal to the syndicate, the university’s highest policymaking body, at the meeting on Monday and was accepted.

The meeting then decided to temporarily suspend 37 students. Instructions were also given for the issue to be sent to the university’s student disciplinary committee to take the necessary action according to the investigation report.

It was then decided that residential halls would reopen on May 2 and educational activities would resume May 4.

Meanwhile, students have announced they will continue sit-in programmes on the campus to demand the immediate reopening of the residential halls. As the syndicate meeting was ongoing on Monday evening, students protested outside the building.

Students had entered the campus after noon to demand the reopening of the residence halls by 8pm. They later pushed for their petition in front of the administrative building.

On Feb 18, clashes broke out between the Chhatra Dal – the BNP’s student wing - and supporters of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement on campus over a demand to halt student politics. More than fifty students were injured in the clashes.

The following day, the students locked all academic buildings, including the administrative building in protest. That afternoon, the university's syndicate met and decided to suspend all political activities at KUET. A committee was formed to investigate the incident. That night, the administration filed a case against 400 to 500 unidentified people at Khanjahan Ali Police Station.

On Feb 20, students held a protest rally on the campus to demand a ban on all political student organisations. They also demanded the resignation of the vice-chancellor.

On Feb 23, the students came to Dhaka from Khulna and submitted a memorandum to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. It included six demands, including the trial of those involved in the violence and the resignation of the vice-chancellor.

On Feb 25, the university syndicate decided to close the residential halls indefinitely at its 99th emergency meeting. All students were ordered to vacate the halls by 10am the next day.

Meanwhile, Hossain Ali, a resident of the Maheshwarpasha North Banikpara area of the city, filed a case against 22 KUET students at the Khulna Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on Apr 10.