Authorities of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) yesterday suspended all classes till May 31 with immediate effect.
The decision was taken unanimously in a meeting of Teachers' Council of the university held at 12:30pm apprehending violence between two rival groups of students who were agitating since Saturday to press their demands which include resignation of Director of Students' Welfare Prof Dr. Khandaker Aftab Hossain.
The classes were suspended on orders of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Mohammod Nawsher Ali, campus sources said.
The vice Chancellor also ordered students, both male and female, to vacate all the six residential halls by 6 pm (Sunday).
But inmates of residential halls staged sit-in in front of the administrative building in protest against VC's order.
They were demonstrating demanding withdrawal of order when the report was filed in the evening, campus sources said.
They also expressed their determination not to vacate halls, terming the VC's order as 'unjustified and detrimental to academic activities'.
Meanwhile, the Director of Students' Welfare, Prof Dr. Khandeker Aftab Hossain tendered his resignation to VC at 5:15 pm yesterday in the face of student's agitation.
Earlier, at about 11 am, two rival groups of students, one supporting the Director of Students' Welfare and the other opposing him, clashed on the campus for over half -an-hour.
Some unruly students damaged glass panes of windows of some class rooms during the clash.
The situation was brought under control as the VC and other teachers intervened.
The VC formed a seven-member committee to probe the incidents and submit a report as early as possible, said KUET Public Relations Officer Abdur Rahman.
Prof Dr. MA Bashar, head of Civil Engineering department and Assistant Provost of Fazlul Huq Hall Prof ABM Awlad Hossain have been made chairman and member-secretary of the probe committee respectively.