Published : 25 Sep 2026, 08:15 PM
Updated : 25 Sep 2026, 08:15 PM
Students have conducted a protest march “rejecting” the appointment of Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam, who has recently joined as the vice-chancellor (VC) of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET).
They are continuing to push for the reinstatement of the previous VC, Prof Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.
Meanwhile, the CUET Teachers' Association has announced a full-scale strike from Sunday amid the “emerging situation”. In addition, the CUET Officers' Association has also announced a strike in solidarity with the students' demands.
Prof Sayem, of the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering, took charge as the vice-chancellor of CUET on Jul 27.
He was relieved of the post on Sept 21 and Prof Shariful, a professor of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), was appointed as the new vice-chancellor.
The students launched protests, including a campus “shutdown programme” to protest the decision. The students locked the main gate of the campus on Tuesday morning.
Academic activities at CUET have ground to a halt for three consecutive days due to the movement. No classes or examinations have been held.
The university administration has, so far, been unmoved by the protests. On Thursday afternoon, the newly appointed Prof Shariful joined his post online.
A torch protest march was held on the campus on Thursday night, in which thousands of students took part.
On Friday afternoon, another protest march began in front of the Teacher-Student Centre of the campus.
The procession ended at the central Shaheed Minar premises on campus. There, the protesting students reiterated their position regarding the joining of the new VC and announced their next programme – a graffiti campaign.
A protesting student said, “[On Thursday], we learnt that Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam has sent his joining letter for the post of vice-chancellor. We have held a procession [on Friday] to protest this. We do not accept Prof Shariful Alam as the vice-chancellor.”
Meanwhile, the CUET Teachers’ Association has announced a full-scale strike from Sunday demanding the reinstatement of Prof Sayem as the vice chancellor.
Asked about the decision the organisation’s President Prof Mohammad Ahsan Ullah told bdnews24.com, “We have announced a full-scale strike from Sunday in the emerging situation arising from the removal of [Abu Sadat] and the appointment of a new VC.
“This decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Teachers’ Association online on Thursday night.”
However, activities related to hall and emergency activities will be exempted from the strike.
Earlier, the president of the teachers' association said at a press conference on the campus on Thursday afternoon that they did not want a new VC at CUET.
