Classes resume at Kuet after 160 days

Academic activities at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) resumed yesterday after a closure of 160 days.

With students back, the once-silent campus sprang to life, restoring vibrancy and rhythm to classrooms, corridors, and university life.

By 9:30am, classes were already in session at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), while other departments were making preparations to resume academic activities.

The students were seen arriving by university buses, vans, and rickshaws. Some were seen walking through the rain, getting drenched, while others chatted animatedly with friends.

However, due to the sudden announcement, many students were yet to return to campus.

The decision to resume classes came after the university's teachers' association on Monday suspended its ongoing movement for three months. Later that day, newly appointed Vice Chancellor Professor Md Maksud Helali officially instructed the resumption of academic activities and issued a formal notice.

Rahatul Islam, a civil engineering student, said, "We just want to return to our studies. All we hope for is a stable academic environment."

Photo: Dipankar Roy

On February 18, clashes broke out on the campus centring the demand to ban student politics on the campus.

Following the unrest, both the VC and pro-VC were removed from office. On May 1, Cuet Professor Dr Hazrat Ali was appointed as interim VC, but he resigned on May 22 amid opposition from the teachers.

Kuet remained closed for 160 consecutive days -- from February 18 to July 28 -- with all academic activities suspended.

On July 24, the government appointed Helali, a retired Buet professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as Kuet's new VC.