The Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) has announced the immediate reopening of all student dormitories and the revocation of suspension orders against 37 students allegedly involved in a clash on campus in February.
The decision was made during a syndicate meeting held Wednesday noon, chaired by KUET Vice Chancellor Mohammad Masud.
The move follows mounting pressure from students, as demonstrators from various educational institutions—including Jahangirnagar University and Dhaka College—joined KUET students in a hunger strike demanding the vice chancellor’s resignation. Protesters have accused Masud of discriminating against students in the aftermath of the February 18 violence.
The February incident saw general KUET students, reportedly supported by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, clash with Chhatra Dal activists and their alleged local armed affiliates, amid efforts by Chhatra Dal to revive political activity on campus. KUET students, who have long advocated for a politics-free academic environment, claim that such attempts contradict the post-5 August political reforms that followed the fall of the previous Awami League government.
In response to the unrest, KUET had initially suspended several students and closed the dormitories, with a plan to reopen them on May 4. However, persistent student protests demanded both an earlier reopening and the cancellation of the suspension orders—demands which the administration has now conceded to.
