Chattogram, Sept 26: Students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) continued their protest on Saturday, demanding the reinstatement of former Vice-Chancellor Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem, who was removed from office earlier this week.

Demonstrations, protest rallies and other programmes were underway on the campus from Saturday morning as students vowed to continue their movement until their demand is met.

During the morning protests, the students displayed ‘red cards’ against newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, protesting remarks he made to the media about the ongoing movement.

Students also launched a graffiti campaign across different parts of the campus, adding a new dimension to the protest.

In comments to the media on Friday, Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam claimed that only 30 to 35 students were taking part in the protests, while most students had already unlocked the campus and were welcoming him to CUET.

His remarks triggered a fresh protest by the demonstrators on Saturday morning, who staged a symbolic ‘red card’ campaign in rejection of his statement.

A protest procession began at the campus Shaheed Minar and marched through several campus roads before returning to the starting point. The protesters chanted slogans including “Red Card to Online VC” and “Online VC, Online VC, We Will Not Accept, We Will Not Accept.”

The protesting students said the new vice-chancellor’s description of the ongoing movement and the students’ position was inconsistent with the reality on the campus.

“We are protesting his remarks through the red-card programme,” said Mahidur Rahman Osmani, a fourth-year student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who joined the procession.

He said the newly appointed vice-chancellor had taken office “in an unprecedented manner by joining online”, and that his comments to the media were also inconsistent with the situation on the campus.

The students reiterated that their movement would continue until Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem is reinstated as CUET vice-chancellor.

How the Protest Began

The crisis began on September 21, when the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education issued a notification relieving Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem of his post and appointing Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, of the Department of Electronics, Computer and Engineering at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), as CUET’s new vice-chancellor.

Students began protesting that night against the decision.

From the following day, they launched a shutdown and mass sit-in programme, maintaining their protest on campus.

Later, the CUET Teachers’ Association and Officers’ Association also announced work abstention in support of the demand for Professor Sayem’s reinstatement.

The students have described the reinstatement of Professor Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem as their sole demand, and said they will continue their movement until the demand is addressed.