Demonstrating Students Attacked by Chhatra Dal, Outsiders at DUET

The campus of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) in Gazipur turned into a virtual battlefield following repeated attacks on general students by activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), law enforcement personnel, and external elements. The three-way clash erupted on Sunday (May 17) at around 10:00 AM near the university's Shaheed Minar premises over the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.

More than ten students, including on-duty journalists, were reportedly injured during the violent confrontations. According to the demonstrating students, several of the injured victims have been admitted to local hospitals. The protestors alleged that JCD activists, reinforced by a large number of outsiders, launched a premeditated assault on the general student body, triggering severe tension across the entire campus.

The unrest stems from the government's recent appointment of Dr. Mohammad Iqbal as the new Vice-Chancellor of DUET. Discontented with the decision, the university students rejected the appointment immediately after the official gazette was published and have been staging continuous demonstrations since Thursday night demanding the cancellation of the recruitment order.

As part of their pre-announced agitation framework, the students gathered on Sunday morning to observe a symbolic "red card" protest against the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor. Witnesses stated that the clash was triggered when JCD activists and external BNP loyalists—led by DUET Chhatra Dal President Jamilur Jamil, Secretary Abdul Kader, Organizing Secretary Rayhan Rahel, and Vice-President Rakib—attempted to breach the main gates to escort Dr. Mohammad Iqbal into the campus.

In the ensuing chaos, journalists covering the event were also targeted by the attackers, who reportedly confiscated their mobile phones and recording equipment. The general students quickly regrouped at the Shaheed Minar premises to mount a resistance, causing the skirmishes to spread across multiple strategic points of the campus.

The violent standoff, which commenced at around 10:30 AM, was reported to be ongoing at the time of compiling this report.

The demonstrating students reiterated that internal professors possess a far superior understanding of DUET's specialized engineering curriculum, academic architecture, and administrative realities. They maintained that for the sake of long-term institutional development and stable administrative operations, the government must appoint the next Vice-Chancellor from the senior, qualified faculty members of DUET.