BUET stalemate
Teachers, students fear delay in studies
Teachers and students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology feared that the current movement against the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor could delay the academic life of the students. The university authorities are yet to announce the date of tests for admission to the university. The results of the higher secondary and equivalent examinations were published on July 19 and three public universities have already announced the dates for admission tests.
The students have also started fearing that they might not be able to complete their studies on time because of the 44-day unscheduled closure of the university beginning on July 11.
The vice-chancellor closed the university on July 10 amid the movement of teachers against the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor.
The academic calendar stipulates that the Ramadan holidays should begin on August 11 and run till August 24.
BUET teachers and students expressed their concern about the possible delay in the academic life of the students because of the movement that continued since July 11.
Classes were not held from December 31, 2011 to January 2 in the institution as Chhatra League activists attacked a senior student. Teachers had also been on strike for 28 days beginning on April 7.
They feared that the current movement of the teachers would prolong their academic life by at least 10 weeks.
The students’ welfare director, Aminul Islam, said that they would work out a fresh academic schedule soon after the removal of the vice-chancellor, SM Nazrul Islam, and the pro-vice-chancellor, Habibur Rahman, for which the teachers are rallying.
Water resources engineering student Ujjwal Haldar, who is in his final year, told New Age that they are supposed to complete their studies by December.
‘But it may not be possible as the situation is worsening. We are not certain if our classes would resume after Eid,’ he feared.
A computer science and engineering student said that he had never thought of such disruption in studies in such a reputed institution.
The teachers who are holding protests hinted that they would continue their movement until the two top officials of the university were removed.
‘The removal of the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor is the solution this problem. And we can take make-up classes,’ the BUET Teachers’ Association’s general secretary Ashraful Islam said.
The vice-chancellor also said that the teachers would take make-up classes. ‘We are trying to resolve the problem through discussions with senior teachers.’
He, however, said that they had not decided the date of admission test but they might do it any time.
As for judicial investigation committee, as recommended by the syndicate on July 11 to investigate the 16 allegations of irregularities levelled against the administration, he said that no such committee was set up as yet.
The teachers and students staged the sit-in on the campus for the seventh consecutive day on Friday to push for their demand.
On July 21,
They began the fresh round of demonstrations in front of the council building on July 21 after a break of two days.
They postponed their protests for two days on July 18 ‘showing respect’ to the initiative taken by the education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, to resolve the crisis.
The teachers said that they would hand in resignations after July 30 when the deadline for the removal of the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor would be over.
The teachers and students went on demonstrations after the vice-chancellor had the university.
All the five deans, heads of all the 17 departments and directors of three institutes resigned on the day to push for the demand for the removal of the vice-chancellor and the pro-vice-chancellor.
-With New Age input
