DUET Campus Placed Under 'Complete Shutdown'

Protesting students at the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) have officially declared a "complete shutdown" of the campus on Tuesday (May 19), significantly escalating the ongoing standoff over the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor. The declaration has completely paralyzed all academic and administrative operations at the institution.

The development marks the fifth consecutive day of agitation by students who have declared the new VC persona non grata. Protesters announced that the total shutdown will remain in force until further notice. This escalation follows a newly filed police lawsuit naming 250 unidentified individuals in connection with the violent clashes that occurred over the weekend.

Following a pre-scheduled "DUET Blockade" program on Monday, where students staged sit-ins and protest rallies starting from 8:00 AM, the demonstrating general students called a press conference at 1:00 PM to articulate their demands. Later in the afternoon, the DUET wing of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal organized a counter-press conference.

Meanwhile, the university administration issued an official press release stating that the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, formally joined the university on Sunday and has commenced his administrative responsibilities. Dr. Iqbal, a professor from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), was appointed to the post by a government notification on May 14, which triggered student protests that very evening.

The governance dispute has fueled intense volatility on campus. On Sunday (May 17), structural friction erupted into severe clashes between two student factions, resulting in injuries to 14–15 individuals, including general students, on-duty law enforcement personnel, and Gazipur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sazzat Hossen. In response to the violence, the police filed a criminal case against 200 to 250 unidentified individuals on charges of obstructing government officials from discharging their duties.