The Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) administration has decided to shut down the campus until February 28 following clashes between the Chhatra Dal and the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.
The decision was made after an emergency meeting of the university syndicate on Wednesday afternoon, according to university spokesperson Shahaduzzaman Sheikh.
Law enforcement agencies have been deployed around the main gates of the campus, and military personnel have also been seen patrolling the area. No classes or exams took place on Wednesday.
Students locked all administrative and academic buildings, and some were seen leaving the residential halls.
Abu Afsan Md Yahya, senior vice president of the Chhatra Dal’s central committee, stated at a press conference at the Khulna Press Club that no members of the BNP’s student wing were involved in the student attack.
Five individuals were detained in connection with the clashes that occurred on Tuesday night, but no formal charges have been filed, according to Md Nazmul Hasan Rajeeb, the additional deputy commissioner (north) of Khulna Metropolitan Police.
Students, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had given the administration an ultimatum until 1 p.m. on Wednesday to address their demands. When no action was taken, the general students locked the academic and administrative buildings across various university departments indefinitely.
On Tuesday night, students held a press conference to present a five-point list of demands. These included the complete banning of student politics at KUET, the prosecution of those responsible for the student attack, and the resignation of the university’s vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, and director of student welfare.
The students also declared they would boycott all classes and exams until their demands were met.
They gathered outside the KUET Central Medical Center from 9 a.m. on Wednesday to press for their demands. Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Mashud has been receiving treatment on the second floor of the building since falling ill on Tuesday night.
Shahaduzzaman Sheikh, the university’s spokesperson, confirmed that the vice-chancellor participated in the syndicate meeting virtually, but he did not provide further details on the decisions made.
Meanwhile, Chhatra Dal’s KUET unit held an emergency press conference at the Khulna Press Club on Wednesday afternoon. During the conference, Chhatra Dal leader Abu Afsan reiterated the group’s stance, stating that they were not involved in the student attack and also called for punishment for those responsible.
