RUET backs off, VC freed after protests

The Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) has reconsidered its decision for a minimum of 33 credits a year after student protests.

Rajshahi University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Feb 2017, 11:24 AM
Updated : 5 Feb 2017, 11:24 AM

The decision was taken at an ‘emergency session’ of the Academic Council on Sunday.

Following the decision RUET Vice Chancellor Prof Rafiqul Alam Beg was let go by students after a 24 hour siege of his office.

Celebrations erupted on the RUET campus after the VC accepted the students’ demands at the emergency session.

RUET's adoption of a new rule requiring students to secure a minimum of 33 out of 40 possible credits in an academic year for promotion to the next sparked the student demonstrations.

Students objected that no other engineering institution in the country had such strict requirements and that students would be inconvenienced if they had to miss classes due to illness or some other problem.

They also complained that additional logistical arrangements for classes and labs would need to be made for those students who failed to meet the requirements.

Amid the protests the university administration suspended all academic activity for students from two academic years on Tuesday. On Wednesday they announced closing down hostel dormitories.

Following these actions the students declared an encirclement of the university administration building on Saturday.

Accordingly the students barred the administrative building and besieged the VC at his office.

In addition to lifting the 33 credit requirement, the decision by the Academic Council has also resumed academic activity for the two batches of students.