Maksud Helali appointed KUET VC

Md Maksud Helali of the mechanical engineering department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has been appointed as the new vice chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET).

The appointment was confirmed in a gazette notification issued by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the education ministry, signed by Senior Assistant Secretary ASM Kashem.

According to the notification, his tenure as vice chancellor will be for four years from the date he assumes office.

It also said the president and chancellor of the university reserves the authority to terminate the appointment at any time, if deemed necessary.

Since the violent clashes on February 18, all academic activities at KUET had been suspended.

In response to student protests, the education ministry had removed the vice-chancellor (VC) and pro-vice-chancellor on April 25.

Subsequently, on May 1, Md Hazrat Ali from the Department of Civil Engineering at CUET was appointed as interim VC.

Although academic activities were scheduled to resume on May 4, teachers refused to return to the classroom.

Since May 18, they have also boycotted all administrative duties.

The KUET Teachers' Association remained firm in its decision not to take any classes or exams until disciplinary action was taken against the students who allegedly harassed faculty members during the earlier unrest.

Amid this prolonged disruption, teachers, students, and guardians jointly formed a human chain on Wednesday (July 23) at the university's Durbar Bangla Square, urging immediate action to restore academic activities and appoint a permanent VC.

Speaking at the demonstration, participants highlighted how the absence of a VC has virtually paralysed the university's administrative functions. Key academic processes such as semester exams, thesis submissions, graduation clearance, research supervision, leave approvals, scholarships, and international collaborations have come to a standstill.

In a bid to end the prolonged shutdown and mitigate the growing concerns of both students and parents, the KUET Guardian Forum—comprising guardians residing in Dhaka—has submitted a memorandum to the Education Adviser, urging the immediate appointment of a Vice-Chancellor and full resumption of academic operations.

On Tuesday (July 22), representatives of the forum handed over the memorandum at the Ministry of Education.

In their written appeal, the guardians expressed deep concern over the continued closure of one of the country's most prestigious public engineering universities.

"KUET has remained shut for over five months, bringing all academic and administrative activities to a halt. Thousands of students are facing serious uncertainty regarding their future, and we, the guardians, are living in constant anxiety," the memorandum states.