Student Blockade Paralyzes DUET Campus

Academic and administrative operations at the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) have ground to a virtual halt as student protests entered their fifth consecutive day. Demanding the immediate reversal of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor (VC), demonstrating students initiated a pre-scheduled "DUET Blockade" program on Monday (May 18) morning.

The unrest sparked on Thursday (May 14) following a formal government notification appointing Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, a professor from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), as the new Vice-Chancellor of DUET.

On-site observations on Monday revealed a tense atmosphere across the campus and its surrounding areas, amplified by violent clashes that occurred the previous day. Protesting students padlocked the main entrance early in the morning, preventing university officers, staff, and faculty members from entering the campus premises. Demonstrators also locked down the core administrative building, staging protest rallies to demand a politics-free campus and a change in leadership.

The agitation, which began within the campus grounds on Thursday, escalated when students blocked the crucial Joydebpur-Shimultoli road. The demonstrations continued through Friday, culminating on Saturday when students locked the main gates under the banner of a "Red Card Program," declaring the newly appointed VC persona non grata.

During Saturday's demonstrations, an altercation broke out between general students and members of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. The situation deteriorated on Sunday when outsiders reportedly aligned with the student political wing, leading to intermittent, day-long clashes. At least 20 individuals, including law enforcement personnel and students, sustained injuries, with 12 reported to be in critical condition.

The core demand of the demonstrating students is that the Vice-Chancellor must be appointed from within the existing internal faculty pool of DUET. Protesters argue that internal professors possess a far superior understanding of the university's distinct academic structure, student realities, and long-term administrative and developmental challenges compared to an external appointee.

The governance crisis has drawn national student politics into the fold, prompting counter-statements from the central committees of both Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir. Responding to the political friction, general students issued a joint statement late Sunday night, reiterating that no political activities or organizations will be tolerated on the DUET campus.

Commenting on the security situation, Md. Aminul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gazipur Sadar Police Station, confirmed that additional police contingents have been deployed throughout the campus periphery to maintain law and order, adding that the situation has remained stable so far on Monday.