Buet classes resume
Students attend a class at Buet yesterday. Classes at the university resumed after around two months of protests by the teachers and students demanding removal of the VC and pro-VC for their alleged irregularities. Photo: Palash Khan
Classes in the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) resumed yesterday after a 63-day deadlock over the demand by agitating teachers and students for removal of the vice-chancellor (VC) and his deputy. Buet sources said the Academic Council meeting might be held on Tuesday to decide on holding this year's admission tests. The university regained its usual environment with the campus abuzz with the return of all its teachers, students and staff. “It is like a new beginning,” said a civil engineering department student. Normalcy returned to Buet after the pro-VC, Prof M Habibur Rahman, was removed on September 9 and two cases, filed against the agitators, were withdrawn as per Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid's September 3 assurance. The university authorities approved a new calendar on September 11, a day after the Deans' Committee chalked out the calendar to resume classes in all departments from yesterday's date. Yesterday the students said they had lost around seven months, three months due to some unscheduled closures before the deadlock and another three to four months for the deadlock. Buet Teachers Association (BTA) General Secretary Prof Ashraful Islam said they would hold discussions with students for a way to make up for the time lost. He, however, said the demand for the removal of VC Prof SM Nazrul Islam still remained. The agitation began on April 7 when BTA started abstaining from work over the resignation demand, bringing 16 allegations against the VC and pro-VC. They suspended their agitation temporarily on May 4 following the prime minister's assurance to meet the demand. As their demand remained unmet, they started a symbolic protest on July 7. But things turned for the worse when the Buet authorities suddenly closed the university for 44 days from July 11 after teachers announced to go for a non-stop work abstention from July 14. Buet students and staff this time joined the agitation.
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