DUET students continue agitation

GAZIPUR, May 18: Agitating students of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) on Monday enforced a blockade on the campus, threatening to intensify their movement if the government does not cancel the appointment of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor.

During a press conference, the students placed a three-point demand, including cancellation of the appointment of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Professor Dr Mohammad Iqbal, appointment of a Vice-Chancellor from among DUET's internal faculty members, and justice for those involved in Sunday's violent clashes.

The developments come a day after the campus turned into a virtual battlefield during a face-off over the new Vice-Chancellor's takeover. Speaking at the briefing, final-year Civil Engineering students Aman Ullah and Hasanur Rahman, representing general students, said they would not back down from their demands despite what they described as a violent disruption of their protest.

They clarified that they are not proposing any specific individual for the post and are not concerned with the political background of the appointee. Their sole demand, they said, is that the government consult the academic community and appoint a qualified internal professor who understands DUET's institutional challenges and realities.

The student representatives claimed they had been holding peaceful sit-ins on campus for the past week to press their demands.

 However, they alleged that on Sunday morning, activist groups along with outsiders breached the main gate and created chaos. 

When students attempted to resist, they were attacked with sharp weapons and bricks, leaving 18 students injured, 12 of them seriously. They denied any political affiliation, saying general students had united across party lines for the university's future.