Home
+
Published : 16 Apr 2025, 01:32 AM
A group of students from Dhaka University (DU) have staged a protest demanding the resignation of the vice-chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) over the recent expulsion of 37 KUET students.
The DU students rallied in front of Raju Sculpture around 4:30pm on Tuesday, where the demonstrators also called for the withdrawal of the cases filed against the KUET students.
Speaking at the rally, AB Zubayer, a student of Islamic Studies at DU, said the vice-chancellor’s decision was similar to something the Awami League’s autocratic regime would do.
He insisted though it appeared that the July Uprising had “freed Bangladesh from fascism”, the KUET incident showed that “fascism” still lurks within the country.
“BNP’s youth wing activists attacked the KUET students, yet the administration has failed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Instead, cases have been filed against the very students who were attacked.”
He further claimed that the KUET vice-chancellor is the convener of the BNP-affiliated Zia Parishad and a former leader of Chhatra Dal.
He said, “ BNP has supported the attacks and cases against the students. We stand with the general students of KUET. The administration must immediately withdraw its unjust decision.”
He added that residential halls in KUET were shut to prevent students from entering.
“We protest this reckless decision and express solidarity with the demands of the KUET students. We demand the immediate resignation of VC Mohammad Mashud,” he said.
The expulsions came after violent clashes took place at the KUET campus on Feb 18 between supporters of Chhatra Dal and the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, over the demand to ban student politics.
Over 50 students were injured in the confrontations.
Nearly two months later, on Monday night, the university syndicate decided to temporarily expel the 37 students involved in the incident.
Musaddik Ali Ibn Mohammad, a student of the Bangla department, said: “When BNP attacked the KUET students, they stood up and resisted. When the army tried to enter the campus, the VC refused to allow them in.”
“The Ministry of Home Affairs must be held accountable for accepting these cases. The cases must be withdrawn immediately, and those involved in the attacks must be meted out justice,” he added.
Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) also formed a human chain on Tuesday afternoon, in protest of the expulsions.
They demanded the withdrawal of the expulsion order and the cases filed against the students.
