Bangladesh: KUET Students Launch Indefinite Hunger Strike Demanding Resignation of VC
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Synopsis
On April 22, 2023, over 32 students from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology began an indefinite hunger strike demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Masud. The protests stem from violent clashes in February that resulted in numerous injuries among students.
Key Takeaways
- Over 32 KUET students are on a hunger strike.
- The demand is for VC Mohammad Masud to resign.
- Violent clashes in February led to over 100 injuries.
- Students accuse administration of failing to protect them.
- Students have been suspended following the clashes.
Dhaka, April 22 (NationPress) Over 32 students from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) in Bangladesh commenced the second day of their hunger strike on Tuesday, seeking the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Masud, as reported by local media.
The protest originated in February when violent confrontations at KUET resulted in injuries to over 100 students. Various student factions, representing differing political beliefs, clashed regarding the ban on student politics within the university.
Representatives from Jatiyotabadi Chatro Dal (JCD), affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), spoke to the media, alleging that the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) and Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, instigated the violence on the KUET campus.
Subsequently, the students blamed the VC for not ensuring their safety during the tumultuous events. Rather than providing protection, they claimed the administration initiated legal proceedings against 22 students and suspended 37 students, most of whom were victims of the violence.
At the end of February, KUET management declared a suspension of all academic activities and the closure of residential facilities until further notice.
“We have a singular focus, a single demand — the resignation of the VC. This hunger strike will only cease when that demand is met,” stated one student involved in the protest.
“We even submitted a memorandum to the residence of the Chief Advisor in Dhaka. Two months have gone by, and we’ve been overlooked. This government rose to power on the blood of students but now disregards our voices,” another protesting student was quoted by The Dhaka Tribune.
On Monday afternoon, KUET students initiated this hunger strike to stress their demand for the VC's resignation, following the expiration of a 24-hour ultimatum set by them.
The protests escalated on April 13 as students insisted on the immediate reopening of the halls and the resumption of academic activities.
However, the next day, in an emergency Syndicate meeting, KUET authorities declared that 37 students involved in the clash would face suspension. It was decided that the halls would reopen on May 2 and classes would resume on May 4.
Students, however, dismissed this decision as unreasonably delayed and protested by breaching six male residential halls after the announcement, as reported by bdnews24.
“Given that the VC has failed to guarantee students' safety, denied accountability, interrupted vital services like water and internet, instigated legal action against protesters, and unjustly suspended students — we now declare that the removal of the VC is our sole demand,” a student representative expressed during a press briefing last week.
