CUET students announce shutdown over interim Vice Chancellor appointment

Students at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have announced a one-day shutdown following the appointment of an interim Vice Chancellor. The protest was triggered by the decision to delegate routine administrative and academic responsibilities to Professor Kazi Delwar Hossain, the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, the current Vice Chancellor, assigned these temporary duties to Professor Hossain to allow him to attend a University Grants Commission (UGC) meeting in Dhaka. Students have rejected this arrangement, stating they do not recognize the current Vice Chancellor and oppose any attempts to establish authority through interim appointments.

The shutdown includes a boycott of all classes, examinations, and administrative activities conducted under the interim authority. This unrest follows a prolonged period of instability at the university, stemming from a 41-day movement demanding the reinstatement of former Vice Chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem.