Classes Resume at KUET After 74 Days, Teachers’ Strike Halts Campus, Students Face Session Jam

Khulna Correspondent

Academic activities resumed at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) on May 4 after a 74-day closure. However, classrooms remain empty due to an ongoing teachers’ strike. The KUET Teachers’ Association remains firm in its decision not to participate in classes or exams until disciplinary action is taken against students accused of assaulting teachers. This has created uncertainty about when full academic activities will resume, leaving 7,500 students grappling with session jams. Administrative and development activities at the university have also come to a standstill.

On Tuesday, the KUET campus was eerily quiet, with classrooms and dormitories largely deserted. Students were either in their dormitories or off-campus, while some were seen socializing outside dormitories or walking around campus roads. Police presence at the main gate restricted entry to the campus.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Hazrat Ali has held multiple meetings with teachers, students, officials, and staff, but no resolution has been reached. Registrar Engineer Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan and Director of Student Welfare Professor Abdullah Elias Akhtar stated, “We are working to resolve the crisis and normalize campus activities as soon as possible.”

General Secretary of the KUET Teachers’ Association Professor Md. Faruk Hossain explained, “During the clash on February 18, some students physically assaulted several teachers. We demanded justice, but the administration has taken no action. Until the accused are punished, we will not participate in classes or exams.” He added that if disciplinary measures are not implemented within seven days, teachers would also withdraw from administrative duties.

This decision was reiterated at a general meeting of the teachers’ association on Tuesday. Teachers argue that disciplining those involved in the assault is essential for ensuring campus discipline and teacher safety.

Meanwhile, students have twice apologized to teachers. Rahatul Islam, Md. Obaidullah, Sheikh Mujahid, Galib Rahat, and Toufiq said, “We do not want any animosity with our teachers. If there were any unintentional mistakes, we have apologized. We want classes to resume, or the session jam will worsen.” KUET already faces over a year of session backlog, and the recent 74-day closure has further complicated the situation.

The crisis began on February 18, when a clash erupted between supporters of student political groups and anti-discrimination student movements, leaving over 50 students injured. The following day, students locked administrative and academic buildings. The university syndicate decided to ban political activities on campus and formed an investigation committee. The administration filed a case against 400-500 unidentified individuals at Khanjahan Ali Police Station.

On February 20, students protested by showing “red cards” to political organizations and demanding the vice-chancellor’s resignation. Later, students staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building starting April 13 and began a hunger strike on April 21, demanding the reopening of dormitories. Advisor to the Ministry of Education C.R. Abrar visited the campus on April 18 but failed to end the hunger strike.

Subsequently, the syndicate withdrew expulsion orders against 37 students and decided to reopen the dormitories. Following assurances from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to remove the vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor, students ended their hunger strike. However, academic activities remain stalled due to unresolved demands from teachers.

KUET is one of Bangladesh’s top engineering universities, with approximately 7,500 students and 300 faculty members. Recent clashes and conflicts between teachers and students have significantly disrupted the academic environment. Despite intervention from the Ministry of Education and UGC, a resolution remains elusive due to teachers’ demands for justice and students’ apologies. Analysts believe that the influence of student politics and a lack of administrative decisions have exacerbated the crisis.

Restoring mutual trust between teachers and students and implementing impartial measures based on the investigation report are essential to resolving the crisis. Failure to do so could harm KUET’s academic reputation and jeopardize students’ futures.