Kuet closed till 13 Dec after teacher’s death
Students were asked to leave their dormitories by 4pm Friday
Authorities have decided to close the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) till 13 December after a teacher's death, which triggered a volatile situation on campus.
The decision was taken during an emergency syndicate meeting of the university on Friday morning, reads a notification signed by the university Acting Registrar Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan.
The Kuet authorities also instructed students to leave their dormitories by 4pm Friday.
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Professor Md Selim Hossain, a teacher of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) department, was found dead at his residence on Tuesday (30 November) after confinement by a group of students at his office. Questions and allegations arose centring the death of Professor Selim, who was also the provost of the varsity's Lalan Shah Hall.
Kuet authorities formed a three-member probe committee over the incident. The teachers and students had announced to boycott academic activities demanding a fair investigation.
In the statement, issued following the Friday meeting, the university authorities said the decision to close the campus came in the interest of a fair probe into the incident and to avoid any unwanted situation.
Students and teachers have alleged that Kuet Chhatra League General Secretary Sadman Nahiyan tortured Prof Selim mentally at his office room centring a dining manager election of Lalan Shah Hall in December.
According to Prof Selim's family members, the teacher reached his residence around 2:00 pm on Tuesday (30 November) and entered the washroom, where he was found unconscious hours later. He was then rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead.
Meanwhile, the Khulna University Teachers' Association has demanded a proper investigation into the incident to identify the people responsible and hold them accountable.
In a statement, signed by the association President Dr Md Waliul Hasanat and General Secretary Dr Tanjil Sowgat, teachers have urged the authorities to probe the allegations of harassing the deceased teacher and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Students troubled at sudden notice to clear halls:
The sudden notice from the university authority to leave dormitories have led to suffering of resident students, especially the girls. However, students started leaving the campus from noon immediately after the announcement of the closure of the university.
"I am now wondering how I will make it to Dinajpur. The sudden instruction to leave halls has appeared to be quite troubling for us, specially for the girls. However, we must follow the authorities' decision. And, I do not want to make any further comments since this has become a political issue," said a student, who did not want to be named.
Many students were seen panicking while trying to get bus or train tickets on sudden notice. Some students expressed their concern as the university was closed again just days after the campus reopened.
Osman Gani, a student of mechanical engineering department said, "We lost a lot of study time due to the pandemic. We came to campus on 25 October and are now again having to leave. I don't know how long it will take to finish my studies."
Harunur Rashid, another student from the same department said, "This is just suffering for the students. If I get a ticket for Thakurgaon, I will go home. I haven't thought about what I'll do if I do get a ticket."
Meanwhile, around 3:30pm, a section of the Bangladesh Chhatra League took a stand in front of the administration building to protest against leaving the residential halls and left the building premises around 4pm.
