CUET Suspends Admission Activities in Solidarity with Nationwide Engineering Rights Movement

Students at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have announced a suspension of admission processes as part of the ongoing nationwide Engineering Rights Movement. The declaration was made on Thursday evening (September 25) around 7:00 PM, with a banner titled "CUET Admission Closed" unfurled in front of the Central Shaheed Minar.

This move positions CUET as the fourth engineering university to join the call for halting admissions, following similar actions by Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).

The banner accuses the "diploma syndicate" of prioritizing influence over merit in the engineering sector, stating that admissions at CUET will remain suspended until reforms are implemented.

Mahi Al Wahi, a fourth-year student in the Mechanical Engineering Department, told The Daily Campus, "Given the severe discrimination plaguing the engineering sector, we've suspended CUET admissions. Until reforms are enacted, admissions will stay closed. It's better for a meritorious student to study another field after four years of effort than to become an unemployed engineer."

For context, students at KUET, RUET, and SUST had previously issued three-point demands and suspended admissions in protest. CUET's action marks the fourth such initiative. The demands include: 1) Mandatory BSc in Engineering qualification and exam-based recruitment for 9th-grade or assistant engineer-equivalent positions, with no quotas or promotions via equivalent posts; 2) Upgrading 10th-grade or sub-assistant engineer roles to create opportunities for BSc holders without quotas; 3) Ensuring no one without a BSc uses the "engineer" title, with legal action against violators.

The Engineering Rights Movement, active since early 2025, seeks to address inequities faced by BSc engineers, including quota-driven promotions for diploma holders, political interference, and misuse of gazettes. KUET's indefinite suspension on September 18 declared the 24th batch as its last, citing government inaction on demands. SUST students boycotted classes and exams in August, protesting diploma syndicate conspiracies. The movement has escalated to nationwide "complete shutdowns" in engineering universities, with protests at BUET and demands for IEB-BATE accreditation of non-accredited programs.

CUET's administration has not yet responded, but the suspension could disrupt the ongoing 2024-25 undergraduate admissions, which began with preliminary tests in recent months. The movement's leaders emphasize that without merit-based reforms, producing more engineers serves no purpose amid high unemployment rates among graduates.