New Cuet VC enters campus, breaks admin building lock as protests enter 20th day

Amid a 20-day shutdown and administrative deadlock, the recently appointed vice-chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), Prof Sheikh Shariful Alam, today (12 October) broke the lock of Administrative Building-2 and entered the campus.

The incident comes amid a student movement demanding the reinstatement of former vice-chancellor Prof Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.

Earlier, protesters locked the administrative building on 21 September and a university-wide shutdown has been in force since 22 September.

When contacted about his entry to the campus, Shariful declined to comment at this stage.

Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem was appointed vice-chancellor of Cuet on 27 July.

He was removed through a notification issued by the Ministry of Education on 21 September. The same notification appointed Prof Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) as Cuet’s new vice-chancellor.

Students launched protests that night, demanding Sayem’s reinstatement. As part of their protest, they locked the administrative building and suspended university activities.

Teachers, officers and staff later joined the work stoppage in solidarity with the students, bringing academic and administrative operations to a standstill. 

Examinations, semester assessments and laboratory activities across various departments have also been disrupted.

Shariful informed the education secretary of his assumption of office by sending a joining letter on 24 September

Due to opposition from protesters, he had been unable to enter the campus in person until today and had been conducting administrative activities virtually from Chattogram Circuit House.